According to security blogger Graham Cluley, some former members of the site are now receiving blackmail demands through the post. The letters ask for thousands of dollars and threaten to out former members if the lucre is not forthcoming.
Ever since the database of Ashley Madison users was displayed online, blackmailers have been quick to try and extort money from members. The swift exposure of high-profile casualties, like former director of the Family Research Council Josh Duggar, who resigned in disgrace after being shown to have multiple accounts with the website, showed there was money to be made.
After the database went online, at least one suicide was linked to the leak.
It later emerged that the whole website was something of a busted flush, with around one per cent of the people on there being women looking for affairs.
Previous Soylent Coverage:
Amazon and GoDaddy Sued for Hosting Leaked Ashley Madison Data
Infidelity Website Hack Leads to Suicides in Canada
Hackers Reportedly Leak Nearly 10 GB of Ashley Madison ("Cheating Site") Files
Adult 'Extracurricular Activity' Website AshleyMadison.com Hacked
(Score: 5, Informative) by wonkey_monkey on Wednesday December 16 2015, @09:43AM
Family Research Council Josh Duggar [...] resigned in disgrace after being shown to have multiple accounts with the website
That's not why he resigned from the Family Research Council, which happened two months before the Ashley Madison data breach, and the reasons for which the word "disgraceful" is putting it extremely mildly:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Duggar#Molestation_controversy [wikipedia.org]
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 16 2015, @02:28PM
Not to excuse the criminal behavior, but actions taken as a minor are often viewed in a significantly different light than those taken as a legal adult. Wikipedia notes that the sexual assaults were committed when Josh Duggar was 14-15 years old - not as an adult as a typical reader may easily assume.
(Score: 2) by wonkey_monkey on Wednesday December 16 2015, @05:01PM
Well, not that it changes my view about it as such, but I think I had him mixed up with another recent case when I wrote my post.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk