Hackers have threatened artists by demanding a ransom of $50,000, putting their data at serious risk. The ransomware group, known as LunaLock, has breached a platform that helps artists connect with clients for commissions.
The group warned that if the ransom is not paid promptly, they would share the stolen data with AI companies, which means the artists’ works could be included in large language model datasets.
On August 30, a message was posted on the Artists & Clients website, indicating that it had been hacked by this ransomware group.
A user of the site discovered the message and shared it on Reddit, revealing a ransom note that stated all databases and files, including artwork, had been taken and encrypted. The hackers are demanding $50,000 in exchange for the stolen data.
Users expressed heightened concern, especially since the company had not issued any official statements or updates regarding the situation.
The website contains not only users’ artwork but also sensitive information such as messages and payment details.
In addition to threatening to publish the data on the dark web, the group announced plans to submit all artwork to AI companies for inclusion in their training datasets. LunaLock has promised to erase the stolen data and allow users to recover their files once the ransom is paid.
The ransom note included a countdown timer, giving the owners of Artists & Clients just over a week to pay the ransom in either bitcoin or monero.
While this incident could be seen as a typical ransomware attack, the added threat of releasing artists’ work to AI companies makes it particularly alarming, as reported by 404 Media.
Given the impact of AI on various creative fields, this threat poses a significant risk to artists, potentially pressuring the platform’s owners to comply with the ransom demands.
However, discussions on Reddit indicate that many users are more worried about their personal and payment information being compromised than the loss of their commissions.
One Reddit user mentioned, “I just went ahead and transferred all the important accounts to a new email and deleted the one they got a hold of. Hopefully that’s enough,” expressing concern about their data security.
Others shared advice on what actions to take if they were users of Artists & Clients.
One suggested, “Now is a good time to check where you may have reused passwords on other sites and change them, plus add two-factor authentication or another safety measure on your PayPal account since A&C primarily used PayPal.”
Another user commented on the platform’s prior issues, stating, “Considering that they keep banning artists without reason, delayed payouts, and non-existent support, this is very much deserved.
I feel sorry for the artists and their customers, though,” highlighting some of the frustrations users experienced even before the attack.
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