Bet9ja Website has been hacked – Hackers requests Ransom in Bitcoin

Betja, a popular betting platform in Nigeria and some African countries has been hacked by some Unknown hackers shutting out users and leaving customers apprehensive about their investments.

The hack was noticed since Wednesday morning as many customers have been complaining of their inability to access their accounts on the gaming website.

On a statement present on the website and on the betting platforms social handles, the company acknowledged the challenge while allaying customers’ fears and assuring the safety of their funds.

“Just like so many market-leading global organisations, Bet9ja recently became a victim of a sophisticated criminal cyber-attack, which is restricting your access to our platform,” the company said in the statement. “We take this matter extremely seriously. Our priority is protecting our customers and you have our assurances that your accounts and all your funds are safe.”

Mr Kunle Soname, the chairman of KC Gaming Networks Limited, owners of Bet9ja, confirmed that the company’s website was under a cyber-attack by a Russian hacking group.

The chairman confirmed that the hackers have demanded a staggering amount of money to be paid in bitcoin as ransom. The betting supremo, however, assured that the website would be back online on Friday, April 8.

Many users took to twitter to express their disappointment over the hack, most of them try to accused bet9ja of using a hack trick to avert paying huge winnings made by people on the betting platform.

The chairman debunked those claims, stating that all winnings will be paid once services are fully restored.

Sources has it that the hack was perpetuated by some Russian hackers after the United States said it secretly removed malware from computer networks around the world in recent weeks, in its bid to pre-empt Russian cyber attacks.

The US said the move was necessary because of Russia’s plan to attack American critical infrastructure. It said the malware it removed enabled Russians to create ‘botnets’ — networks of private computers that are infected with malicious software and controlled by the G.R.U., the intelligence arm of the Russian military.

The company didn’t make public the amount demanded by the hackers as ransom, however some Insiders on twitter commented that the ransom is not less that $240 million US dollars which are demanded in Bitcoin.