The British college student who launched an ad gimmick on the Web that took in $1 million in a few months has received threatening letters from blackmailers apparently behind a massive denial of service attack, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.
Alex Tew, creator of the Million Dollar Homepage, received a letter threatening to take the site down if Tew didn't pay $50,000, spokeswoman Imal Wagner confirmed.
The London-based Financial Times reported earlier on its Web site that the hacker, believed to be Russian, sent an email that read, "Hello u website is under us atack to stop the DDoS send us 50000$."
The email followed another threat Tew received Jan. 7 from an organization calling itself The Dark Group and demanding $5,000, Wagner confirmed. Tew believed it was a hoax and ignored the threat.
The FBI, which has declined comment, and London authorities have been notified, Wagner said.
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