Indian IT giant Wipro last week received an anonymous email demanding a ransom of INR 500 crore in digital currency bitcoin, The New Indian Express reported.
The email sender has threatened to release a toxic protein drug in the company’s campus if it fails to make the payment by May 25. The drug ‘Ricin’ is natural toxic protein and can be used as a biological weapon. It can kill a person within 36-72 hours depending upon the amount of exposure and dosage.
Police sources told the media outlet that the email was sent by the id Ramesh2@protonmail.com. The sender has claimed that 1 kg of Ricin has been stored and 2 grams would be sent in envelopes to one of Wipro’s offices to prove that the threat is not to be taken lightly.
Wipro authorities officially confirmed the complaint saying:
"Wipro confirms that it has filed a complaint with the local law enforcement authorities after receiving a threatening letter from an unidentified source. Wipro has augmented security measures at all its office locations. There is no impact on the company's operations. We have no further comments as the investigation is ongoing."
The case has been registered under Section 66 F of the IT Act (cyber terrorism). The cyber police have started investigating the case.
“We are already investigating the case and have got some initial clues. We are looking at all possibilities, including insiders or previous employees who would have done this to scare others. We have also tracked the IP address”, DCP (crime) Anand Kumar said.
