I’m sharing this here in case any Patreon users got this scam email and didn’t get Patreon’s followup (or didn’t recognize the name “Jack Conte” and thus didn’t read the followup). I did get the scam email yesterday evening, but I deleted it without reading it, assuming it was a scam, and then relocated it in my trash folder after getting the email from Patreon.
Some Google searching has suggested that these are the same scammers that threatened users after the Ashley Madison hacking, but I don’t know for sure. Either way, don’t fall for it!
I know this has been a huge headache for everyone, so I’m more grateful than every to anyone who’s supporting me or any other creators through Patreon, because it really is a life-changing service for a lot of us!
Typed transcription under the cut for those who need it:
Scam email:
Unfortunately your data was leaked in the recent hacking of the Patreon web site and I now have your information. I have your tax id, tax forms, SSN, DOB, Name, Address, Credit card details and more sensitive data. Now, I can go ahead and leak your details online which would damage your credit score like hell and would create a lot of problems for you.
If you would like to prevent me from doing this then you need to send 1 bitcoin to the following BTC address.
Bitcoin Address:
1QAQTyhCzAfvp8uLpneBNamWTNRR1hx9Cp
You can buy bitcoins using online exchanges easily. The bitcoin address is unique to you. Sending bitcoin takes take, so you better get started right now, you have 48 hours in total.
Patreon official email:
I learned yesterday evening that some Patreon users have been receiving a scam email. The sender claims to have the recipient’s SSN, credit card number and other personal information. I want to assure everyone that the claims in this email are false, and we are already working with federal law enforcement. Do not reply to the email—it is a scam. The tax forms we store are securely encrypted with RSA 2048-bit encryption, and we do not store full credit card numbers.
If you receive this email I suggest you flag it as spam and ignore any further emails. Do not reply.
Woke up to an interesting spam in my mailbox. It seems some enterprising person decided to email people whose data was leaked in the Patreon hack, and try some extortion. (1 Bitcoin is currently about US $360. Bitcoin is a digital currency used mainly for crime and ponzi schemes.)
Problem is, Patreon didn’t have most of the data this fellow claims to have. And of course, the only way he got the data in the first place is because whoever did the hack posted the results online — the thing he is threatening to do for the extortion has already happened a few months ago.
If you receive a message like this, you can safely ignore it.
