Hacker Steals MakeUseOf.com Domain, Blackmails Owner

#1

Post by loowee » Mon, Nov 03, 2008, 5:42 PM UTC

Hacker Steals MakeUseOf.com Domain, Blackmails Owner
inquisitr.com

Re: Hacker Steals MakeUseOf.com Domain, Blackmails Owner

#2

Post by huhtenberg » Mon, Nov 03, 2008, 7:11 PM UTC

It would've been very impressive if this incident were a staged PR stunt.

Re: Hacker Steals MakeUseOf.com Domain, Blackmails Owner

#3

Post by thenextweb » Mon, Nov 03, 2008, 7:26 PM UTC

huhtenberg wrote: post #2

It would've been very impressive if this incident were a staged PR stunt.

Don't think it is and it would be a major PR fiasco if that turned out to be true...

Re: Hacker Steals MakeUseOf.com Domain, Blackmails Owner

#4

Post by PStamatiou » Mon, Nov 03, 2008, 8:03 PM UTC

Changing my gmail password right now.. k thanks.

Re: Hacker Steals MakeUseOf.com Domain, Blackmails Owner

#5

Post by ashleyw » Mon, Nov 03, 2008, 8:16 PM UTC

huhtenberg wrote: post #2

It would've been very impressive if this incident were a staged PR stunt.

Maybe, but it could turn into a nightmare with search engines, I don't think they'd risk that.

Hope they get the domain back, people like the guy who hijacked it makes me sick.

Re: Hacker Steals MakeUseOf.com Domain, Blackmails Owner

#6

Post by jrockway » Mon, Nov 03, 2008, 8:17 PM UTC

I think I would pay the $2000. With hundreds of thousands of dollars of revenue on the line, it seems like a good investment. Plus, once the hacker cashes the check, he is that much easier to trace.

Re: Hacker Steals MakeUseOf.com Domain, Blackmails Owner

#7

Post by PStamatiou » Mon, Nov 03, 2008, 8:55 PM UTC

jrockway wrote: post #6

I think I would pay the $2000. With hundreds of thousands of dollars of revenue on the line, it seems like a good investment. Plus, once the hacker cashes the check, he is that much easier to trace.

he probably wouldn't want a check.. likely they want a western union wire or something.

Re: Hacker Steals MakeUseOf.com Domain, Blackmails Owner

#8

Post by olefoo » Mon, Nov 03, 2008, 10:02 PM UTC

jrockway wrote: post #6

I think I would pay the $2000. With hundreds of thousands of dollars of revenue on the line, it seems like a good investment. Plus, once the hacker cashes the check, he is that much easier to trace.

Giving in on something like this means you will be victimised again later on. Once you start paying the danegeld it's hard to get rid of the dane.

Re: Hacker Steals MakeUseOf.com Domain, Blackmails Owner

#9

Post by jrockway » Mon, Nov 03, 2008, 10:15 PM UTC

olefoo wrote: post #8

jrockway wrote: post #6

I think I would pay the $2000. With hundreds of thousands of dollars of revenue on the line, it seems like a good investment. Plus, once the hacker cashes the check, he is that much easier to trace.

Giving in on something like this means you will be victimised again later on. Once you start paying the danegeld it's hard to get rid of the dane.

The idea is to make it easy for this guy to be arrested, not to make a habit of sending random people money.

I don't buy things advertised in spam, but I keep getting it anyway.

This sort of scam is like spam. It is easy to perpetrate the scam and hard to be penalized for it, so it isn't going to go away. Send a few emails and you have a chance of someone mailing you $2000 and probably not getting caught. Not a bad deal for the criminal.

Re: Hacker Steals MakeUseOf.com Domain, Blackmails Owner

#10

Post by alex_c » Mon, Nov 03, 2008, 10:19 PM UTC

jrockway wrote: post #6

I think I would pay the $2000. With hundreds of thousands of dollars of revenue on the line, it seems like a good investment. Plus, once the hacker cashes the check, he is that much easier to trace.

How would you know you'll actually get the domain back if you pay the $2000? I doubt the hacker would be willing to use escrow or anything like that.