Some gangs have reportedly cold-calling victims to tell them their systems have been hit by ransomware and demand a ransom to resolve the situation. This is just the latest in a long list of shakedown tactics, which includes not just using crypto-locking malware but, lately, also leaking data to increase the psychological pressure on victims to pay. Experts say the quantity of ransomware attacks and amount of ransom payments continue to rise. “Back in the day we saw ransom demands of $100,000 or a few hundred thousands, but these days, we are seeing ransom demands in the millions, more and more often,” one expert says.”]
Source: https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/ransomware-call-centers-cold-call-victims-to-demand-ransom-a-15535