Hackers have doubled a ransom demand and have threatened to publish information on President Donald Trump if it’s not paid in a week.
The hacker group, which goes by REvil, first demanded $21 million from entertainment lawyer Allen Grubman, according to a report published Friday by Fox News. Grubman’s firm represents celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Priyanka Chopra and Bruce Springsteen.
A group of hackers who stole data from a law firm representing some of the world’s biggest celebrities said they will publish President Trump’s “dirty laundry” unless their increased ransom demand of $42 million is met within a week https://t.co/USN0xquhuZ
— The Times (@thetimes) May 15, 2020
The group reportedly hacked into the firm’s server and stole 756 gigabytes of confidential documents.
“The ransom is now [doubled to] $42,000,000,” a message from the hackers said Thursday, Fox News reported. “The next person we’ll be publishing is Donald Trump. There’s an election going on, and we found a ton of dirty laundry on time.” (RELATED: Prince Harry Sues British Tabloids For Allegedly Hacking His Phone, Stealing Voicemails)
“Mr Trump, if you want to stay president, poke a sharp stick at the guys, otherwise you may forget this ambition forever,” the hackers added. “And to you voters, we can let you know that after such a publication, you certainly don’t want to see him as president … The deadline is one week.”
Grubman is reportedly refusing to pay the ransom.
“His view is, if he paid, the hackers might release the documents anyway,” a source told Fox News. “Plus the FBI has stated this hack is considered an act of international terrorism, and we don’t negotiate with terrorists.”