Terminated contract led to $2.5 million cyber extortion scheme

A federal jury convicted Cameron Curry, 27, a Charlotte resident, of carrying out an extensive cyber extortion scheme targeting a Washington, D.C.-based international technology company. He faces up to two years in prison on each of the six charges.

Curry, who worked as a data analyst for about six months with the victim company and had access to its data files and internal personnel and corporate information, began the scheme after learning his contract would not be renewed.

According to evidence presented at trial, the defendant, using the online alias “Loot,” sent more than 60 emails to company employees and executives between December 11, 2023, and January 24, 2024, demanding $2.5 million in cryptocurrency.

In those messages, he claimed he had large amounts of employee data, including personally identifiable information (PII), and warned he would release it, report the company to regulators under new SEC rules, and highlight alleged pay disparities if his demands were not met.

“This is your final warning! We have 6 employees who are underpaid by over $100,000k in our drafts ready to be sent and a few others who are underpaid costing 1 million dollars to adjust ONLY 25 employee’s salary. The rest will go out weekly,” Curry wrote in one of the emails.

On January 24, 2024, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Curry’s residence and seized multiple electronic devices.

“A forensic analysis of the evidence revealed that Curry was committing the extortion scheme under the ‘Loot’ alias,” investigators said.