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FROM THE - CHRONICLES of Monte Friesner – Criminal & Intelligence Analyst and Consulaire for WANTED SA~
Written by David Marchant – Editor of Offshore Alert
Posted by Monte Friesner
Published on 18 March 2016
We at WantedSA are sad to read of this but happy that Offshore Alert will be back better and bigger than ever !
Notice to OffshoreAlert Subscribers
and Followers
Thursday, March 17th, 2016
Our site went down in the early hours of Tuesday, March 15th (EST).
Please bear with me. Our website will be back up and running early next week. I guarantee it.
It was initially unclear whether the problem was caused by a hack of our servers or a server hardware malfunction. Although we haven't yet completed a full forensic investigation, it appears to be the former and that an attempt was made to wipe out our company. I'm happy to say it failed. It simply put us off-line for a week while we move to one of the most secure hosting environments on the Internet to reduce the chance of this happening again.
This morning, I received an anonymous email from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., an email address provided by Russia's equivalent of Google, claiming responsibility for "the hack of your site today", notwithstanding the fact the problem occurred more than two days ago.
Claiming to represent "Anonymous", the well-known group of computer hackers, the person stated that, unless OffshoreAlert published a message on our site by 6 pm EST today announcing that "OA Closed Permanently", he/she would release on the Internet "video disclosure of the hack", "the real names, surnames, passwords and comments of your members", and "dirt" obtained from my mobile phone in order to expose "the real Mr Marchant.
Not so squeky [sic] clean afterall [sic]. We know where you've been and listened in on your conversations. We own you, your friend [sic] and your family. You are in our world now. We make the rules."
The email went on: "You are scum and we will expose the true you in weeks to come. YOU are responsible for the breach on your member's business email. YOU Mr Merchant [sic] have our attention. We will not let up. YOU will be hunted everyday from here onward. Anon OP OA have hundreds of members and getting rid of you and exposing your members is our single collective goal.
"Your paid for journalists and members from accounting, banking, legal firms and even government will pay the price."
The email ended with "Try us Mr Marchant. Try us and find out what we are capable of and what we did over the last 12 months.
"We are Anonymous. We do not forget. We do not forgive."
My response, to paraphrase, was 'f@@k off'. I long ago came to terms with the risks involved in exposing serious financial crime and I will not allow a cowardly a-hole in Russia or wherever to blackmail or intimidate me just because we have exposed them for committing fraud, which is undoubtedly the case.
Over the years, I have been threatened with death on multiple occasions, privately investigated numerous times, and my company and I have been sued for libel at state and federal courts in the USA, in Canada, England, the Cayman Islands, Panama and Grenada (two of them criminal actions) in an attempt to bankrupt us. Yet we're still standing and, frankly, doing rather well.
I, of course, apologize to subscribers and followers of OffshoreAlert for any inconvenience and deeply regret if any names and contact information are indeed published online by the apparent hacker. But all it will reveal is that you care enough about not doing business with criminals that you follow our work. You should wear that like a badge of honor.
BE ASSURED: OffshoreAlert DOES NOT store any credit card details or payment details of subscribers or conference clients on our servers or on any hardware that we own or control so no financial information has been compromised in any way, shape or form. You have my word on that. That information is maintained by a third-party that is one of the world's largest financial companies.
Not a day goes by when I'm not grateful for our subscribers, supporters, conference sponsors and attendees. I never take you for granted and appreciate you more than you will know. Never forget: 'The Pen Is Mightier Than The Fraud'.
Finally, I doubt that "Anonymous" was actually behind any hack. The evidence points to it being a 'living-in-my-mother's-basement, never-had-a-girlfriend, hacker-for-hire' type. If the real 'Anonymous' wants to contact me, I can let you know who I strongly suspect is behind the attack and misappropriating your name. Then you can go to town on him.
The hunter will soon become the hunted. That's what makes my job so enjoyable!
David Marchant
Owner & Editor
OffshoreAlert
Tel: +1 (305) 600-2878
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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WANTED SA kindly thanks US Treasury, Kenneth Rijock, AFP, Reuters, BBC, Associated Press, DEA, FBI, ICE, Westlaw, Arutz Sheva, and all the Parties, Press, Journalists, Law Enforcement and Securities forces who have contributed to the many articles and their sincere opinions and statements.WANTED SA states that the facts and opinions stated in this article are those of the author and not those of WANTED SA. We do not warrant the accuracy of any of the facts and opinions stated in this article nor do we endorse them or accept any form of responsibility for the articles.
