This article is more than 1 year old

Hackers crack Liechtenstein banks, demand ransoms

Tiny country creates yuuge problems as crims threaten to expose 'tax evasion'

Hackers have days ago breached a Liechtenstein bank and are allegedly blackmailing customers by threatening to release their account data if ransoms are not paid.

Attackers obtained account data from Chinese owned Valartis Bank Liechtenstein siphoning information on clients including politicians, actors, and wealthy individuals across Germany and elsewhere, Bild am Sonntag reported.

Hackers are allegedly demanding up to 10 per cent of account balances paid in Bitcoin for the information to be withheld.

The attackers are threatening to release the information to authorities and media if ransoms are not paid by the seventh of December .

The bank did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Director Andreas Insam told Bild am Sonntag it has alerted the authorities and that investigations are ongoing.

Three letters published by the publication (paywalled) claim several gigabytes of account information and correspondence has been taken since October this year.

The letters written in German attempt to threaten victims with revealing alleged tax evasion, adding that Bitcoin payments will protect both the attackers and victims who chose to pay.

Attackers accused the bank board of not paying them for security services, likely bug poaching rather than legitimate testing, claiming their "intention is not to harm" and have to "resort to" extortion.

Bild.de has blocked out the Bitcoin addresses so it is not yet possible to track if any ransoms have been paid. ®

More about

More about

More about

TIP US OFF

Send us news


Other stories you might like