A hacking group calling themselves Turkish Crime Family claim to have a large amount of iCloud data and Apple email accounts. The group is demanding a ransom for this iCloud data and email from Apple in the amount of $75,000USD in Bitcoin or Ethereum. Alternatively, the group has said they would take $100,000USD worth of iTunes gift cards. The group has provided Motherboard with screenshots of the alleged emails and access to an email account supposedly used to communicate with Apple. One email sent to the group asked if they were willing to share a portion of the iCloud data they had for verification, the return-path of the email points to the Apple domain.
“I just want my money and thought this would be an interesting report that a lot of Apple customers would be interested in reading and hearing,” one of the hackers told Motherboard.
The group went as far as to upload a video to YouTube showing them allegedly accessing one of the iCloud accounts, though we do not have a link to this video.
“We firstly kindly request you to remove the video that you have uploaded on your YouTube channel as it’s seeking unwanted attention, second of all we would like you to know that we do not reward cyber criminals for breaking the law,” a message allegedly from a member of Apple’s security team reads. (Motherboard only saw a screenshot of this message, and not the original). The alleged Apple team member then says archived communications with the hacker will be sent to the authorities.
Motherboard has raised a question of the validity of what the group is claiming as their numbers have changed from one email to another. First, the group claimed they had iCloud data from 300 million Apple accounts and then the claim went to 559 million. Other than the video shown to Motherboard they gave the media outlet no other proof of what they claim they had in their possession.
Now, the hackers are threatening to reset a number of the iCloud accounts and remotely wipe victim’s Apple devices on April 7, unless Apple pays the requested amount.
This could very well be just a play for some free money but we won’t know for certain until Apple chooses to comment on the matter.
What do you think of this story? Do you think this group is legit or is this a play to extort Apple?Let us know in the comments below or on Google+, Twitter, or Facebook.
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