bin Laden hackmeister ‘flees’ Germany

Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2002/01/18/bin_laden_hackmeister_flees_germany/

Auf Wiedersehen, prat

Posted in Security, 18th January 2002 15:55 GMT

Updated German glam-hax0r Kim Schmitz (aka Kimble), the founder of a group which made unsubstantiated claims to have hacked a Sudanese bank with /bin/laden accounts, has fled the country in fear of his life.

At least that's what the man himself would have us believe from a farewell letter on his site which shows, if nothing else, that Kimble is not afraid to sing his own praises.

The "500-million-mark" man, "super brain" and "Internet entrepreneur" was wrongly made out to be a "braggart" and "fraud" by people out to destroy his vision, he would have us believe. The authorities are unable to protect him against kidnap or death threats so he's decided to take his ego elsewhere.

There's no mention of reported financial problems and, sadly, Kimble's site has also been stripped of pictures of him and his mates flying in private jets to exotic locations with a bevvy of busty strumpets.

It's not clear what his plans are or where Schmitz is at the moment, and he's proving difficult to track down.

CNN reports that the German finance community, and Letsbuyit.com which he reportedly helped by offering to invest $40 million early last year when it was close to collapse, are unfazed by Schmitz's exile.

The hacking community will be hopeful that he's disappeared for good. Schmitz's self-created legend of hacking proficiency, based on a little fact combined with tasty bits from media interviews and movies, as this article makes all too clear, raised hackles in the community.

After the September 11 attacks, Schmitz claimed to have created an elite squad of cyber ninjas called YIHAT (Young Intelligent Hackers Against Terrorism) whose goal was "eliminating the electronic foundations of terrorist activities worldwide".

Last October Schmitz claimed that his YIHAT guard had obtained data on accounts held by members of Al Qaeda, including bin Laden, held at the AlShamal Islamic Bank in Sudan, but he offered not one shred of proof.

Days later Yihat was re-christened Young IDIOTIC haxOrz and Terrorists after an attack on its kill.net Web site by infamous hacker Fluffy Bunny.

Which say's it all really. ®

Update

Since we last looked, Schmitz has put up a fake headstone on his site announcing his death on Monday, which will be his 28th birthday. He's even put up a countdown clock and invited people to see his "death" live on the site. Really is there no end to this man's posturing?

A story in today's Der Spigel suggests Schmitz has been arrested in Thailand. Here's a translation from the original German, with thanks to all the readers who submitted it:

The End of the Road

Kim Schmitz Arrested in Thailand

Whatever he planned next, it will never materialise: Kim "Kimble" Schmitz has been arrested in Thailand. The 'King of the Hackers' has been accused of insider dealing, by which he allegedly made 1.5 million euros.

Munich computer expert Schmitz, sought internationally for his fraudulent insider dealing, was apprehended in Bangkok. The public prosecutor from Munich I confirmed on Friday a report to that effect by 'Teleboerse Online'. The 27 year-old was accused of using insider knowledge to buy shares for 375,000 euros, then selling them off shortly afterwards for 1.5 million euros.

Now we must wait to see how this develops, and when the accused will be handed over to Germany, said a representative of the public prosecutor's office. On the advice of the state supervisory office for bond trading, the Munich authorities have initiated inquiries and obtained the arrest warrant through Munich's law courts.

Schmitz is regarded as an enigmatic figure. He became known in Munich as a computer hacker and later sold his knowledge of security holes to companies.

Even now he is still ensuring sensation with one of his abstruse publicity tricks: on his Web site he is advertising his suicide on Monday - or at least his crossing "to a new world".

External links

Parting greeting from Kim Schmitz (in German and English)