One hacker group claims it has access to thousands of “secret” documents revealing sensitive data surrounding the 9/11 tragedy. The group warned that it will make the documents public unless a hefty bitcoin ransom is paid.

The ‘Truth’ About 9/11

On Dec 21, 2018, the Dark Overlord made a lengthy post on Pastebin claiming that it had breached a global law firm handling multiple cases related to the September 11 attacks.

Allegedly, the hacked documents have substance. The group eludes that the documents explain what really happened on Sep 11, 2001, and go as far as saying that the documents divulge who the actual perpetrators are. The group has released a few of these documents to emphasize the gravity of their contents.

The already-published documents contain emails, letters, and other sensitive information that mention the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Transport Security Administration (TSA), and several law firms.

Money and Muckraking

Unlike other groups like Wiki Leaks, which typically reveals secrets in the interest of the public, the Dark Overlord seems solely motivated by the pursuit of bitcoin.

That said, the group claims it will only “withhold only the most highly confidential and sensitive documents for private sale.” The vast majority of the breached documents, it added, will still be released to the public.

To extract their bitcoin ransom, the group has called upon solicitor firms, insurers, property management firms, government agencies, and politicians involved in the investigation and litigation of 9/11 related cases. These agencies are invited to reach out and formally request that their “documents and materials be withdrawn from any eventual public release,” for a price. As common with digital criminals, the group wants to be paid in exclusively in bitcoin.

Hiscox Group, one of the firms that the Dark Overlord specifically named in its announcement, has reportedly admitted that one of its partner law firms were breached and that the files stolen were indeed related to litigation pertaining to 9/11.

It seems that the conspiracy theorists will get some more fuel. It’s not clear what the exact contents of the documents are, or how damaging they might be. What is clear is that the Dark Overlord wants bitcoin, ‘or else.’