Wipro gets Rs 500-cr extortion email warning 'toxic protein drug' attack

Mumbai: India's Software and IT major Wipro has lodged an extortion and threat complaint with the Bengaluru police against unidentified 'source' who demanded in an email a Rs 500-crore ransom in virtual currency bitcoin.

"We have filed a complaint with the local law enforcement authorities after receiving a threatening letter from an unidentified source," news agency ANI quoted the company as saying.

The New Indian Express reported that the 'source' of threat email also specified how the IT company should send the money. The unidentified email source said Wipro should send the payment using a link by May 25 or else they will spread toxic protein drug on one of its campuses.

Cyber crime investigation cell of Bengaluru police has registered the complaint and informed the media that Wipro's Sarjapura office received the email on Friday morning. The sender has also threatened to contaminate a Wipro campus with toxic protein drug if the payment is not completed.

The report quotes police sources as saying that email was sent by the id Ramesh2@protonmail.com. The text claimed that one kg of Ricin has already been stored. "Two grams would be sent in envelopes to one of Wipro’s offices to assure that the threat is not a fake," the email said.