Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Springbok No.8 Duane Vermeulen victim of blackmail plot

Duane Vermeulen (Photo by Daniel Jayo/Getty Images)

Springbok No.8 Duane Vermeulen has revealed that he was the target of a blackmail plot, after criminals hacked into his email, PayPal and social media accounts this week.

ADVERTISEMENT

After wreaking havoc with his online accounts, the hackers then decided to take it a step further and threaten him, demanding he pay a ransom of at least ZAR8000 or things “were going to get a lot worse”.

Vermeulen told Afrikaanse Sunday paper Rapport that the problem all started when he received an innocuous email that looked like it originated from Instagram.

Video Spacer

Eddie Jones on rugby’s return in England

Video Spacer

Eddie Jones on rugby’s return in England

Eddie Jones, Steve Grainger RFU Rugby Development Director, Claudia MacDonald and Bill Sweeney, CEO of RFU. Eddie Jones joins a local teenage club at the Twickenham Stadium to launch a new form of socially distanced, government approved non-contact game called Ready4Rugby.

In the email, the scammers suggested he change his status from that of a normal ‘user’ to one of a “creator”.

“I know how this sounds, but the email looked absolutely genuine,” said the big No.8.

“Every now and then we post pictures to Instagram for sponsors and according to the email this was in violation of Instagram’s rules, therefore I was requested to change my status. However, when I clicked on the link to do so it took me to a completely different site. I immediately tried to leave but by that time it was too late”

Before he knew it the hackers had already attempted to use his PayPal account to make a number of purchases, but fortuitously the big man’s wife had his login details and could get into the account and stop the thieves.

In the meantime, the hackers began to threaten Vermeulen with blackmail via WhatsApp. They had his ID number and login details for email, PayPal, Instagram and Twitter and told him they were going to take over his Whatsapp as well unless he coughed up US$500 (approx. ZAR8900)

ADVERTISEMENT

One of the messages was that if he attempted to block them on WhatsApp things would only get worse for him. On top of this the hackers also got onto Vermeulens social media accounts and attempted to sell US$500 worth of Bitcoin to his over 100,000 followers.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Great to be back out there…. ?

A post shared by Duane Vermeulen (@customs08) on

“You know that if you pay it’s not going to stop,” said Vermeulen “When I started to do some investigating I found that this had happened with a lot of people which is really bad as you tend to lose the commercial value of your followers.”

Vermeulen then brought in forensic experts for help.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I closed my Twitter account and opened a new Instagram account but I’m still busy trying to get my old accounts back under control again.”

Conrad David director of the digital consultants “Hashtag South Africa” said this can happen to anyone. “Be really careful before clicking on links that you haven’t requested”

“Social media platforms will never ask for permission to make changes without your having already asked for them,” he said.

It’s also really important to check the email address where the email originates from. If it isn’t from the social media platform themselves then it’s likely to be false.

Perhaps if they find the hackers they can let Duane have the pleasure of a word or two with them personally, in a locked room?

This article first appeared in Rugby 365 and is published here with permission.

ADVERTISEMENT

Cape Town | Leg 1 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series 2025 | Full Day Replay

Gloucester-Hartpury vs Bristol Bears | PWR 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 36 | Six Nations Round 3 Review

Why did Scotland's Finn Russell take the crucial kick from the wrong place? | Whistle Watch

England A vs Ireland A | Full Match Replay

Kubota Spears vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | JRLO 2024/2025 | Full Match Replay

O2 Inside Line: This Rose | Episode 3 | France Week

Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

D
David Bright 1 hour ago
England explain why Marcus Smith is set for extended full-back role

Greetings to you all, I am Dr Osoba am a spiritual herbalist who specializes both spiritual and physical problems, with my root and natural herbs I cure all kinds of diseases. My herbs have no side effects to the body. I also cast love spells that brings ex lover back, with spiritual restorations and spiritual cleansing, spiritual empowerment, business spells to bring more customers, pregnancy spells, spells to cast away inner burden, marital/relationship solution, spells to control your husband/wife, spells to win a Court case, financial spell, spells to break every yoke of one child birth in the family, ring spells to attract money, protection spell, palm reading and lot more. Dr Osoba herbal medical treatment WhatsApp me on +13364174247 Specializes in spiritual problems: Stomach problems Hypertension Gonorrhea Sexual weakness Poor Eyesight Diabetes Worm🍃🌿☘️ Menopause☘️🌿 Fabroid🌿🍃 Ulcer Piles Severe waist pain Body weakness Joint pain inching Severe fever Rheumatism Toilet infection Breast cancer Virginia discharge Kidney problem Brain turmor Heart diseases Poor erection Malignant melanoma Lungs cancer Body odour Problems having big tummy Booty and breasts enlargement Difficulty in breathing Treatment of snore You can cure all these infection's/disease's through Dr Osoba herbal medicine 💧🍃🌿 WhatsApp me on +13364174247 I am very ready to help you both spiritual and physical. This is an opportunity for your heart desires to come true, your health and freedom is my concern. TEMPLE OF RESTORATIONS💯

3 Go to comments
D
David Bright 1 hour ago
England explain why Marcus Smith is set for extended full-back role

Greetings to you all, I am Dr Osoba am a spiritual herbalist who specializes both spiritual and physical problems, with my root and natural herbs I cure all kinds of diseases. My herbs have no side effects to the body. I also cast love spells that brings ex lover back, with spiritual restorations and spiritual cleansing, spiritual empowerment, business spells to bring more customers, pregnancy spells, spells to cast away inner burden, marital/relationship solution, spells to control your husband/wife, spells to win a Court case, financial spell, spells to break every yoke of one child birth in the family, ring spells to attract money, protection spell, palm reading and lot more. Dr Osoba herbal medical treatment WhatsApp me on +13364174247 Specializes in spiritual problems: Stomach problems Hypertension Gonorrhea Sexual weakness Poor Eyesight Diabetes Worm🍃🌿☘️ Menopause☘️🌿 Fabroid🌿🍃 Ulcer Piles Severe waist pain Body weakness Joint pain inching Severe fever Rheumatism Toilet infection Breast cancer Virginia discharge Kidney problem Brain turmor Heart diseases Poor erection Malignant melanoma Lungs cancer Body odour Problems having big tummy Booty and breasts enlargement Difficulty in breathing Treatment of snore You can cure all these infection's/disease's through Dr Osoba herbal medicine 💧🍃🌿 WhatsApp me on +13364174247 I am very ready to help you both spiritual and physical. This is an opportunity for your heart desires to come true, your health and freedom is my concern. TEMPLE OF RESTORATIONS💯

3 Go to comments
H
HS 5 hours ago
Fijian Drua stun ladder-leading Chiefs in Lautoka to snap winless run

This review offers valuable insights and guidance on recovering lost cryptocurrency assets. If you are seeking a more reliable team or experts in USDT and BITCOIN recovery, it is highly recommended to consider contacting (RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS). This team of experts engages in their recovery processes using sophisticated, high-end programs designed to trace and securely recover crypto tokens that have been sent out wrongly or to scammers. The techs employed by (RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS) allow for the identification of transaction paths and the potential retrieval of lost funds, even in complex scenarios. Before indulging (RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS), I was unaware that crypto asset recovery was even a viable option. The loss of digital assets can be a devastating experience, and the possibility of retrieval often seems remote. However, after researching and interacting with (RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS), I have gained a new perspective on the possibilities available. Their expertise and dedication to their clients are truly commendable. Based on my research and personal experience, I believe that (RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS) deserves greater recognition for its exceptional handling of critical cases. They consistently demonstrate a high level of professionalism and a deep understanding of the technical aspects involved.  This level of service is a testament to their commitment to excellence and their dedication to helping individuals and organizations recover their lost assets.

3 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ The numbers show Super Rugby Pacific just got even tougher The numbers show Super Rugby Pacific just got even tougher
Search