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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Californian Accused of Cyber-Extortion

(CN) - A Chino, Calif., man has been indicted on one count of extortion after he allegedly threatened to bombard his insurance company with millions of spam emails if it didn't pay him $200,000. Prosecutors say Anthony Digati, 52, threatened to drag New York Life Insurance's name and reputation "through the muddiest waters imaginable" because he claimed it refused to refund about $49,500 in premiums.

"I have absolutely nothing to lose or any fear of retaliation, no judge in the world is going to rule for a $200 billion company when there is a lonely customer that you stole from!," Digati wrote on his Web site, according to the grand-jury indictment.

He emailed insurance executives a link to his site, where he threatened to "cause millions of dollars in lost revenue, good faith and general trust in your company" unless they paid him nearly $200,000.

Authorities arrested Digati in March. He faces up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine plus forfeiture of his computer if he is convicted of extortion through interstate communications.

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