⏱ 2 min read
CHARLOTTE, NC – A disgruntled ex-employee tried to bleed a D.C.-based tech company for $2.5 million, and now he’s facing federal time. Cameron Curry, 27, was found guilty yesterday of a brazen cyber extortion plot, U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced.
Curry, a former data analyst, leveraged his inside access to sensitive company files and employee data after learning his contract wouldn’t be renewed. Instead of walking away, he launched a weeks-long campaign of threats, identifying himself online as ‘Loot.’
From December 11, 2023, to January 24, 2024, Curry blasted over 60 emails to company brass and staff, promising to unleash a flood of confidential data – including employees’ personal information – unless his $2.5 million cryptocurrency demand was met. He threatened to publicly expose a data breach and ruin the company’s reputation.
The FBI cut Curry’s operation short on January 24th with a raid on his Charlotte home, seizing a cache of electronic devices. The jury needed just three days to deliver a guilty verdict on six counts of interstate communication with intent to extort.
Sentencing is pending. This wasn’t a sophisticated hack; it was a calculated inside job gone bad.
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