Krebs

IndependentKrebs

Bitcoin Blackmail by Snail Mail Preys on Those with Guilty Conscience

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2018 18:25:26 +0000

KrebsOnSecurity heard from a reader whose friend recently received a remarkably customized extortion letter via snail mail that threatened to tell the recipient’s wife about his supposed extramarital affairs unless he paid $3,600 in bitcoin. The friend said he had nothing to hide and suspects this is part of a random but well-crafted campaign to prey on men who may have a guilty conscience.

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IndependentKrebs

Website Glitch Let Me Overstock My Coinbase

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Tue, 09 Jan 2018 18:48:04 +0000

Overstock.com (NASDAQ:OSTK) just fixed a serious glitch in the Coinbase bitcoin payment section of its site that allowed customers to buy any item at a tiny fraction of the listed price. Potentially more punishing, the flaw let anyone paying with bitcoin reap many times the authorized bitcoin refund amount on any canceled orders.

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IndependentKrebs

Serial Swatter “SWAuTistic” Bragged He Hit 100 Schools, 10 Homes

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Tue, 02 Jan 2018 17:15:10 +0000

The individual who allegedly made a fake emergency call to Kansas police last week that summoned them to shoot and kill an unarmed local man has claimed credit for raising dozens of these dangerous false alarms — calling in bogus hostage situations and bomb threats at roughly 100 schools and at least 10 residences.

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IndependentKrebs

Kansas Man Killed In ‘SWATting’ Attack

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2017 21:17:36 +0000

A 28-year-old Kansas man was shot and killed by police officers on the evening of Dec. 28 after someone fraudulently reported a hostage situation ongoing at his home. The false report was the latest in a dangerous hoax known as “swatting,” wherein the perpetrator falsely reports a dangerous situation at an address with the goal of prompting authorities to respond to that address with deadly force. This particular swatting reportedly originated over a $1.50 wagered match in the online game Call of Duty. Compounding the tragedy is that the man killed was an innocent party who had no part in the dispute. The following is an analysis of what is known so far about the incident, as well as a brief interview with the alleged and self-professed perpetrator of this crime.

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