All articles tagged with #extortion
Actor Alan Ritchson says a former billionaire partner extorted him to meet in a Cannes hotel, threatening to publicly accuse him of rape; he refused, pursued legal action and a settlement, and says the ordeal contributed to depression and a suicide attempt, soon after announcing his 20-year marriage is ending.
Marianne Flippo, the widow of Roblox employee Chad Flippo, accuses Greggory Starr of manipulating her after her husband’s death and running a scheme that drained about $6 million from her inherited fortune, with attempts to take another $4 million. She has filed a Manhattan Supreme Court suit seeking the return of roughly $5.95 million she already wired, a temporary restraining order to stop further spending, and legal fees, describing a grieving period during which she says she was coerced by Starr and misled into signing contracts and other arrangements designed to control her finances.
A California appeals court rejected Jay-Z’s attempt to revive his extortion and defamation suit against attorney Tony Buzbee over a now-dismissed rape allegation; the panel found Buzbee did not act with malice and was protected by litigation privilege when sending a demand letter before filing, allowing him to seek recovery of fees, while Jay-Z still faces a separate federal malicious-prosecution case against Buzbee.
After a GTA 6 gameplay leak, players linked a nudist resort in the game to Cypress Cove Nudist Resort in Kissimmee, Florida, prompting a wave of fake five-star reviews and extortion attempts aimed at the resort; Cypress Cove denies any real-world tie, refuses to pay, and has reported the behavior to platforms, while the incident sparked Reddit discussion and concern over stereotypes about nudist communities.
Alanis Morissette has filed a California lawsuit accusing her former tour manager, Keren Urinov, of a blackmail campaign tied to drug-trafficking allegations. The filing says Urinov threatened to report the trafficking unless Morissette hired her for 15 years and paid fees, including roughly $75,000; Morissette seeks damages, a jury trial, and penalties after a hotel booking reportedly cost $70,000.
Alanis Morissette has filed a federal lawsuit accusing her former tour manager of civil extortion, fraud and negligent misrepresentation, alleging she threatened to falsely implicate Morissette in drug possession unless she was hired under a 15-year contract with lucrative terms; the case centers on a 2025 UK airport incident where the manager was detained with Morissette’s group and allegedly claimed the drugs belonged to her. Morissette seeks a jury trial and more than $75,000 in compensatory damages plus punitive damages.
In Ibagué, Colombia, a 19-year-old woman was arrested by GAULA for extortion tied to a married man’s alleged affair; authorities say she demanded 25 million pesos (about $6,000) to keep the relationship quiet and threatened to reveal information and leak private materials. She was caught collecting a partial payment and a cellphone was confiscated; charges have been filed but her identity has not been released and no court date is mentioned.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov says a takedown extortionist planted child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in a public chat and edited it with AI to trigger Apple’s App Store removal. Telegram says Apple removed the app before contacting them and attackers used automated reports to pressure takedowns. The incident highlights potential systemic risk for any app hosting user-generated content and demonstrates evolving extortion tactics, with Telegram restoring the app within hours and Russia pursuing Durov in separate matters.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov says a takedown extortionist planted AI-modified CSAM in a public group to pressure Apple into removing Telegram from the App Store; Apple briefly pulled the app and restored it after Telegram removed the content. Durov warns this could pose a systemic risk to any mobile app hosting user-generated content, while Apple has not commented on the claim.
Los Angeles model and influencer Adva Lavie (aka Mia Ventura) was arrested again in Beverly Hills on a felony charge, part of a case in which prosecutors allege she used dating apps to befriending and burglarize or extort victims across LA-area communities; she previously faced six felony counts and was released with an ankle monitor. A related investigation also involves billionaire Stephen Cloobeck, who was arrested on a warrant tied to Lavie’s alleged witness interference.
Federal agents led a global takedown of the Bishnoi Gang spanning the U.S., Canada and Europe, conducting about 50 raids and arresting at least 11 in California as part of Operation Hard Ball. Authorities say the India-based gang engaged in extortion, drug trafficking and killings, and is designated as a terrorist organization by Canada; the crackdown followed years-long investigations into three Indian crime syndicates and involved the FBI, LAPD and RCMP. The operation yielded seizures of more than 2,200 pounds of cocaine and heroin, $40,000 in cash and a dozen firearms, with dozens more suspects still affected across borders and fugitive searches ongoing.
U.S. prosecutors say 24 suspects across the U.S., Canada and Europe have been arrested in a years-long probe into three India-based organized crime groups, including the Bishnoi gang, accused of extortion, drug trafficking and targeted killings. The case ties to the 2023 assassination of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia; 37 defendants are charged across three indictments, with Satinderjeet “Goldy Brar” Singh at large and Lawrence Bishnoi in prison since 2015. Canada had previously designated Bishnoi as a terrorist entity. Authorities also seized about 1,000 kg of cocaine, 1 kg of heroin, $40,000 and several firearms as part of the operation, which involved the FBI, LAPD, RCMP and U.S. CBP.
The FBI says ransom notes in Nancy Guthrie’s Arizona disappearance are split: some extortion demands are deemed illegitimate, while others remain under investigation as potentially legitimate in a kidnapping-for-ransom case, contrary to Reuters’ report that notes were fake; investigators tested one note with cryptocurrency but left the funds, and the search continues after surveillance showed a masked man on Guthrie’s porch.
A British woman says a man wearing smart glasses filmed her without consent and later demanded payment to remove the footage, highlighting how wearable cameras can be used for extortion and how influencer-driven content can invade privacy; police have limited leads and platforms have removed the video, underscoring privacy risks in wearable tech and social media dynamics.
Instructure confirmed attackers exploited multiple cross-site scripting flaws in the Canvas Free-for-Teacher environment to hijack authenticated admin sessions, deface login portals, and trigger a ransom demand by ShinyHunters. The initial breach exposed data from about 8,809 educational organizations, with ShinyHunters claiming as many as 275 million records stolen; the defacement itself did not involve direct data loss, and Canvas has since been restored after a temporary shutdown.