The American cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase fell victim to hackers who stole customer data and demanded $20 million to keep this information secret.
This was reported by the Financial Times.
Amid this news, the company’s shares fell by 5.4% in morning trading in New York. This happened after they soared by 25% on Tuesday due to the announcement of joining the elite US stock index.
“The hackers tried to obtain a list of customers in order to pose as Coinbase, deceive them into handing over their cryptocurrencies. They then demanded $20 million to cover up the incident. We refused,” the company said in a statement on its website.
Coinbase, whose headquarters are located in California, announced a reward of $20 million – the amount demanded by the attackers – for information that will help arrest and convict them.
The attack on Coinbase comes amid a wave of cyberattacks on well-known companies around the world. In recent weeks, hackers have targeted the French fashion house Dior, British department stores Harrods and Marks and Spencer.
The company clarified that the hackers stole information only about some of their customers. The leak included fragments of social security numbers, bank accounts, account data, and copies of documents such as passports or driver’s licenses. The hackers did not manage to obtain passwords, keys, or funds. Coinbase said it would compensate customers who fell victim to the fraud. The amount of compensation is estimated to be between $180 million and $400 million.
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