A hacker unsuccessfully attempted to extort money from an online credit card company after breaking into its Web site and taking thousands of credit card numbers, a company spokesman confirmed Wednesday. The FBI office in Los Angeles confirmed that it was investigating the incident, but offered no other comment. A person close to the investigation said the intruder contacted the company after breaking into the site and published the data on the Internet after a demand for money was rebuffed, the Times reported.
People can also apply for credit cards through the site.
The spokesman said the break-in took place four months ago and that the company had been aware of it for some time. We notified our merchants by letter and reassured them that everything was secure. This wasn't something that just recently happened.