Summary
- Russian hackers have attacked Bet9ja and asked for a ransom
- The attack was carried out by prominent Russian cyber syndicate Blackcat
- Bet9ja owners assure players their funds are safe and have declined to pay the ransom
A leading sports betting platform in Nigeria has become the latest target of the Russian Blackcat ring crime syndicate. Bet9ja confirmed that its entire system was infiltrated by the hackers, with the culprits demanding a ransom.
The cyber raid resulted in user accounts being locked out, with players worried about their deposits. Bet9ja assured them though that their funds weren’t affected by the hack. The company also stated that its IT team was working to get its services back up and running.
Bet9ja immediately notified players that the site had been hacked by a sophisticated group of cyber criminals with Kunle Soname, the chairman of Bet9ja’s parent company KC Gaming Networks Limited, revealing that the hack was carried out by the Russian Blackcat organization. The syndicate is well known for attacking major companies around the world.
The group had asked for a massive amount of money in Bitcoin as ransom, but Soname said they did not give in to their demands. He also maintained that players will be able to receive their winnings once Bet9ja returns to normal operations amid claims the company hasn’t been paying the winners.
Soname fell short of giving out the full details of the ransom but according to speculations, Russian Blackcat is demanding more than 140 billion Naira ($340,000,000) so that KC Gaming Networks Ltd can reclaim the Bet9ja website.
Nigeria’s gaming regulator Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority said it’s aware of the situation and has appealed to customers to extend their patience as they work to get the website back from the hackers. Soname also assured players that Bet9ja will be back as soon as possible.
The Russian Blackcat group was also linked to a massive ransomware attack in Germany back in February. The hackers infiltrated computer systems at the Mabanaft GmbH and Oiltanking GmbH Group by infecting them with malicious software, preventing access to thousands of files. The group also demanded money from the company, though the actual amount remains unknown.
The ransomware attack disrupted Germany’s fuel distribution system and the processing of payments at certain filling stations. Blackcat is also believed to be the same group that attacked the Colonial Pipeline, the biggest gasoline pipeline in the US. The attack took place in May 2021.
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