Nach der Entwendung von Kundendaten fordern Erpresser von Revolut 3 Millionen Dollar

Fraudsters impersonating an Italian law enforcement agency targeted the personal information of Revolut, a digital bank primarily serving Swiss and French customers, demanding a ransom of 3 million dollars. The perpetrators gained access to an email account belonging to Italy's Ministry of the Interior, using it to solicit customer data from Revolut.

They claimed to be law enforcement authorities and sent requests for at least 680 customers' information over several months. Revolut inadvertently complied with the cybercriminals' demands, disclosing sensitive data, including private addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, passport copies, account statements, and selfies required for identity verification when opening an account on the platform.

The hackers targeted high-net-worth cryptocurrency holders, selecting Revolut accounts with substantial crypto assets through blockchain analysis. They demanded payment in Monero, a privacy-focused cryptocurrency, valued at 3 million dollars. The group threatened to leak the stolen data on the Darknet, sell it to other criminals, or auction it off if their ransom wasn't paid within 24 hours.

Revolut did not pay the ransom and confirmed that customer funds remained secure. The bank contacted affected individuals, offering support and assistance. Authorities from Italy, Switzerland, and Germany are investigating the incident, while Revolut collaborates with law enforcement agencies. The bank assures customers that their funds are not at risk as this is not a traditional hacking incident.

Revolut, founded by Nik Storonsky and Vlad Yatsenko in 2015, is now the largest fintech company in Europe with over 80 million customers and a recent valuation of 115 billion dollars.