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For anyone who was emotionally invested in the Jon Benet Ramsay investigation on television last week will probably find this story of interest and one that indeed reminds us of the differences in ransom notes and requests in 1996 and 2016.
A hacker known only as “Crafty Cockney” from Northamptonshire in central England hacked into Pippa Middleton’s iCloud account on the weekend and copied over 3000 photos. The 35-year-old man then WhatsApp’d English publications The Sun and The Daily Mail under a pseudonym within 48 hours and demanded AUS$85,000 for the pictures, teasing editors with pictures of Middleton being fitted in her 2017 wedding dress. The cache of photos reportedly also featured pictures of Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and naked photos of her millionaire fiancé James Matthews.
“There is of course a price for which im (sic) accepting offers of a minimum of 50,000 GBP. This isnt (sic) an auction it will be a simple process of the highest bid in the next 48 hours (as of 4pm 23/09/16)” wrote the hacker. Knowing that paying and publishing such images would more than damage their relationship with the Royals, the media reported the man to police. He was arrested Saturday night. Perhaps not so crafty. But iCloud, WhatsApp; ransom notes have come a long way since Patsy’s notepad and pen.
