Inside a Net extortion ring
"Mr. Zilterio" is hardly shy about the havoc he wreaks at his computer. "Blackmailing is just a hobby for us, not a business. We like to be famous," he says in an e-mail interview with MSNBC.com. For over a year, Zilterio has been hacking into online companies and financial institutions, stealing data, then demanding extortion payments. Nine firms have paid him $150,000 "quiet money," he claims. While the money may in fact be a fantasy — there's no proof anyone has paid — the crimes are quite real, and he's being sought by the FBI for extortion. Full Story