Blackmail Fail (2013)
The author recounts various instances of being targeted by extortionists and blackmailers due to his public writing on darknet markets and cryptocurrency. He reflects on the absurdity of being mistaken for high-profile figures like Satoshi Nakamoto.
Why it matters
Provides a personal perspective on the risks and notoriety associated with investigative writing in the niche fields of cryptography and darknet markets.
In which the author receives surprising offers from kind strangers
In September 2012 14ya , I was extorted for $48.76 $32 2012 for being gwern; I declined to pay. In November 2013 13ya , I called an encryption bluff that I was Dread Pirate Roberts. In December 2013 13ya , a crazy person tried to blackmail me for billions of dollars for being Satoshi Nakamoto; I declined to pay. In March 2014 12ya , the DNM Evolution threatened to dox me if I did not reveal information about their security vulnerabilities. In February 2015 11ya , an Agora user doxed me in an unexpected way and I paid a small bounty.
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