Binance, one of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchanges and the highest-ranked exchange by volume traded, has launched an investigation after an anonymous warning threatening to leak a ton of its customer data.
“We would like to inform you that an unidentified individual has threatened and harassed us, demanding 300 BTC in exchange for withholding 10,000 photos that bear similarity to Binance KYC data,” Â the firm announced in a release today.
The individual had demanded 300 bitcoin which is worth more than $3 million in today’s prices. The individual is threatening to release of 10,000 photos showing “know your customer (KYC)” data from the organization. This includes ID cards, driving licenses and face scans and other private information of users.
“We are still investigating this case for legitimacy and relevancy. After refusing to cooperate and continuing with this extortion, this individual has begun distributing the data to the public.”
One hacker told CoinDesk that tens of thousands of KYC files may be leaked. The stolen data is “directly related” to a large scale hack last year, CoinDesk said in their report.Â
In today’s statement, Binance attempted to distance itself from blame.
“There are inconsistencies when comparing this data to the data in our system, No evidence has been supplied that indicates KYC images have been obtained from Binance, as these images do not contain the digital watermark imprinted by our system. Our security team is hard at work pursuing all possible leads in an attempt to identify the source of these images.” Binance added.
The Telegram group created to share the images currently has more than 10,000 members according to Yahoo Finance UK reports.
“By joining or spreading the link of the telegram group you are helping malicious hackers, at least giving attention” said Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao.
Changpeng Zhao tried to calm the news by saying “Old news, different spin,” the CEO stated, appearing to dismiss any allegation of a fresh data leak.
In its statement, the company said it would now be offering a reward of up to 25 bitcoin for information that helps to identify the person behind the extort organization that is assumed to be based in China.
“The hacker also claims he has KYC information from multiple exchanges, When asked to prove the source of the data, the individual demanded 300 BTC and refused to supply irrefutable evidence of their findings. Later, they went to the press under false pretenses, posing as a white hat with good intentions. The relevant law enforcement agencies have been contacted and we will be working closely with them to pursue this person.”
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Steemit, and join our Telegram channel for the latest blockchain and cryptocurrency news
It is super easy to buy Bitcoin. Just take a look at our exchange comparison!
Trading Bitcoin is too complicated?
We highly recommend our Crypto-Starter-Kit to you!
Or are you looking for the current Bitcoin Price in USD? Look no further!
Bitcoin Price, Ethereum Price, Ripple Price
Follow us on Social Media and subscribe to our free crypto newsletter!
@Telegram
@Instagram
@Twitter
@TikTok
@Facebook
Diskutiere mit uns!
This post may contain promotional links that help us fund the site. When you click on the links, we receive a commission - but the prices do not change for you! :)
Disclaimer: The authors of this website may have invested in crypto currencies themselves. They are not financial advisors and only express their opinions. Anyone considering investing in crypto currencies should be well informed about these high-risk assets.
Trading with financial products, especially with CFDs involves a high level of risk and is therefore not suitable for security-conscious investors. CFDs are complex instruments and carry a high risk of losing money quickly through leverage. Be aware that most private Investors lose money, if they decide to trade CFDs. Any type of trading and speculation in financial products that can produce an unusually high return is also associated with increased risk to lose money. Note that past gains are no guarantee of positive results in the future.
You might also like
More from Cryptocurrency Exchanges
Bitfinex To Launch Trading For Beacon Chain Staked Ethereum 2.0 Tokens
Bitfinex - the major centralized exchange and principal Tether USDT issuer announced on Jan 20 that it will initiate trading …
How to Register on Bybit
Bybit is a cryptocurrency exchange platform that offers futures trading and it's one of the biggest exchanges by trading volume. …
VISA Partners with Ethereum Startup USDC
Major payments card company Visa today declared that it is joining hands with the U.S. Dollar Coin (USDC).