CoinDesk
The hackers behind a data breach at Revolut are demanding $3 million in monero (XMR) within 24 hours, threatening to sell stolen customer data to other criminal groups if the fintech refuses to pay, according to the Financial Times. The group, calling itself "iamnotavillain," posted the demand Wednesday alongside a countdown clock, asking Revolut to send 6,000 XMR.
At least 680 customer accounts were affected. The hackers sent the FT a 60-second screen recording appearing to show passports, driving licences, know-your-customer photos and transaction histories. The group said it used blockchain analysis to single out Revolut accounts with significant crypto holdings.
Why it matters
The breach came after attackers posed as government officials and sent information requests that passed Revolut's checks, prompting the company to hand over customer records before it discovered the requests were fraudulent. That makes this a social-engineering failure rather than a systems hack, which Revolut has said left customer funds unaffected.
The targeting method is the more alarming detail: criminals are now using blockchain analysis, a tool built for compliance, to rank victims by crypto wealth. Monero's privacy features make it the ransom asset of choice precisely because payments cannot be traced on-chain.
Market impact
The demand raises compliance and reputational pressure on Revolut's fast-growing crypto business, and regulators will likely scrutinize how identity verification requests are validated at fintechs handling KYC documents at scale. No negotiations had taken place as of the FT's publication, and Revolut did not respond to CoinDesk's request for comment. Watch for follow-on fraud attempts against affected customers, since leaked KYC documents enable convincing impersonation scams.
Frequently asked questions
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How much ransom are the Revolut hackers demanding?
The group is demanding $3 million worth of Monero, specifically 6,000 XMR, within 24 hours, threatening to sell the stolen customer data to other criminal groups if Revolut does not pay.
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How many Revolut customers were affected by the breach?
At least 680 customer accounts were affected, with exposed data reportedly including passports, driving licences, know-your-customer photos and transaction histories.
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How did the hackers choose which Revolut accounts to target?
The group told the Financial Times it used blockchain analysis to identify Revolut accounts with significant crypto holdings.
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How did the attackers get into Revolut's customer records?
They posed as government officials and sent information requests that passed Revolut's checks. Revolut handed over customer records before discovering the requests were fraudulent.
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Were Revolut customer funds affected by the breach?
Revolut has said its systems and customer funds were unaffected, and that it blocked the address used in the fraudulent requests and notified law enforcement and regulators.
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