This morning we found the following among yet another dozen spam comments >>>.

Author: Alexandra Hoss (IP address: 45.66.209.250, 45.66.209.250)
[Fake name]
Email: hacked@taal.cafe [This email address does not exist]
URL: 
Comment: 
We have hacked your website https://taal.cafe and extracted your databases.

[No they haven’t. This is merely intimidation.]

How did this happen?

Our team has found a vulnerability within your site that we were able to exploit. After finding the vulnerability we were able to get your database credentials and extract your entire database and move the information to an offshore server.

[An offshore server! Hahahaha! This is a clear indication that we are dealing with some nitwit adolescents.]

What does this mean?

We will systematically go through a series of steps of totally damaging your reputation. First your database will be leaked or sold to the highest bidder which they will use with whatever their intentions are. Next if there are e-mails found they will be e-mailed that their information has been sold or leaked and your site https://taal.cafe was at fault thusly damaging your reputation and having angry customers/associates with whatever angry customers/associates do. Lastly any links that you have indexed in the search engines will be de-indexed based off of blackhat techniques that we used in the past to de-index Our targets.

[Given the odd language used this most likely originates from the Netherlands]

How do i stop this?

We are willing to refrain from destroying your site’s reputation for a small fee. The current fee is $5000 in bitcoins (0.043 BTC).

Send the bitcoin to the following Bitcoin address (Make sure to copy and paste):

 bc1qel7v90m26e98a2mlgka5t2087wxk733ssv6u7h 

[Thank you. You can thusly be tracked down.]

Once you have paid we will automatically get informed that it was your payment. Please note that you have to make payment within 5 days after receiving this e-mail or the database leak, e-mails dispatched, and de-index of your site WiLL start!

[This utter BS did not reach us by email but through a comment.]

How do i get Bitcoins?

You can easily buy bitcoins via several websites or even offline from a Bitcoin-ATM.

What if i don’t pay?

We will start the attack at the indicated date and uphold it until you do, there’s no counter measure to this, you will Only end up wasting more money trying to find a solution. We will completely destroy your reputation amongst google and your customers.

This is not a hoax, do not reply to this email, don’t try to reason or negotiate, we will not read any replies. Once you have paid we will stop what we were doing and you will never hear from us again!

[This boils down to sheer bluf poker]

Please note that Bitcoin is anonymous and no one will find out that you have complied.

[That’s from the past. Nowadays, you will be tracked down!]

<<<< Taal Café is a hobby project with the sole purpose to provide a platform for aspiring authors where they can showcase their ability using various styles and perspectives. There are no external email addresses in the database serving the pages. We are also not that much invested in SEO and Google listings as these are not at all important for us.