Revolut faces $3m ransom threat after hackers tricked staff into handing over crypto customers' data

From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026.

Hackers operating under the name "iamnotavillain" are demanding $3m in Monero within 24 hours, threatening to sell passport scans, transaction histories and identity selfies belonging to around 680 Revolut customers to rival criminal organisations if the payment is not made. The group made the ransom demand publicly, complete with a countdown clock — an approach that stands out, as extortion gangs typically open negotiations in private. Revolut says it has had no direct communication from the group and has notified law enforcement, regulators and the Italian government agency whose email infrastructure was exploited.

Rather than breaching Revolut's systems, the hackers posed as law enforcement using a compromised Italian government email address to request customer files directly.

The haul is wide-ranging: names, dates of birth, home addresses, passports, driving licences, verification selfies, IBANs and full transaction histories.

Mark Karpelès, the former chief executive of collapsed bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox, says he is among those affected and has expressed concern for his personal safety.