Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2011/08/10/pulvers_under_threat/
Fake collar bomb victim back in lock down
Police suspect further threats to IT millionaire’s family
Posted in Security, 10th August 2011 22:00 GMT
The 18-year-old daughter of IT executive and multi-millionaire Bill Pulver is again being targeted by her mystery attacker.
Last week, Madeleine Pulver spent 10 hours trapped in her home with a faux collar bomb attached to her neck, after an extortionist broke into the family mansion in the plush Sydney suburb of Mosman.
While no further information has been revealed about the identity of the extortionist and the family has been trying to resume normality, police have now placed the girl under surveillance.
AAP reports that the family has been urged to increase security around their home. Madeleine has shut down her account on Facebook and also ceased using her mobile phone.
Police would not reveal the reason for their increased concern, saying only that investigations are ongoing.
Reports claim that authorities believe the attacker has only executed the first step in an elaborate scare campaign against the family.
A channel 7 news report claimed that detectives were investigating whether the attacker was mimicking scenes from the James Clavell novel Tai-Pan. The extortion letter was signed by fictional character Dirk Struan from the thriller.
Bill Pulver, is CEO of Appen Butler Hill, a speech and text analytics software company, and there has yet to be a link raised between the extortion attempt and any of his business dealings.
However, last week the Sydney Morning Herald noted - without suggesting a link to the extortion - that one of the applications of Appen Butler Hill's software is in fraud detection. ®