Clinics of Plastic Surgery Hacked 25,000 Photos and Online Data

Lithuania Police say that over 25,000 private images, which include nude images along with other personal information was exposed to public after a chain of the plastic surgery clinics experienced hacking.

Police claim that the hacking group known as Tsar Team which compromised servers of the Grozio Chirugijra clinics in early 2017, and asked for ransom from clients of the clinic in Denmark, Germany, Norway, Britain, and various other European Union countries.

Police claim that several hundred pictures are released in the month of March after threats and, on Tuesday, balanced database was exposed to public. It is not clear about exact number of patients affected, but the police confirm that dozens of victims have come forward after being blackmailed.

Deputy Chief - Andzejus Raginskis, Criminal Police Bureau of Lithuania, told the reporters "it's extortion. We are talking about a serious crime." Abcnews.go.com posted on May 30th, 2017, stating that police have been working with the security services of other European countries, as well as have also warned the people who are downloading and storing the stolen data can be also prosecuted.

Lrytas TV based in Lithuania reported that hackers have collected the uncensored 'before and after' images of the patients who have done cosmetic procedures. Affected persons have been asked to pay ransom amount up to 2,000 Euros to ensure that their nude pictures, social security numbers, copies of passport, and other data would not be exposed to public. Hackers further asked the clinic to pay 344,000 Euros in ransom for preventing dumping of the data, but the clinic refused to pay.

The clinic namely Grozio Chirugija got started in 2009, and they boasts 'caring staff and a warm environment'. The clinic says that they are cooperating with the authorities 'to prevent the unauthorized processing of personal credentials'.

In Lithuania, the unauthorised personal data collection is punishable for up to 3yrs. in jail.
Police have been working with the security services of other European countries, as well as have issued a warning saying anyone downloading and storing the stolen data can also be prosecuted.

It has also issued warning to clients saying that they shouldn't open any kind of suspicious emails, and ignore contact with blackmailers. The incidents of the 'hacker blackmail' were growing since last year. The latest ransomware attack (i.e. WannaCry) is largest of its type in history and it showed that the data of infected users were locked and released only on payment of ransom amount.

» SPAMfighter News - 6/5/2017