EXTORTION

Report: Russian Hackers ‘Shaking Down’ U.S. Liberals

Targeting liberal groups.

Russian computer hackers have allegedly turned their eye toward shaking down U.S. progressive groups, in a wave of attacks that aim to find embarrassing details about members and then use the information to demand hush money, according to a Bloomberg News report. The FBI and private security firms are reportedly investigating a rash of attacks that have resulted in liberal groups facing extortion attempts in the months following the presidential election. The hackers have allegedly sent ransom demands along with samples of sensitive data and emails they uncovered. Some groups have paid the ransoms, which have varied from $30,000 to $150,000, according to the report.