Using stolen debit cards, hackers try to discredit and derail Meduza’s crowdfunding campaign

On May 5, unknown hackers attacked Meduza’s crowdfunding website, which we launched after the Russian authorities designated us as a “foreign agent” media outlet and chased away our advertisers.

The hackers tried to make hundreds of payments to Meduza using stolen bank account numbers and gibberish email addresses for contact information. The electronic payment service “Stripe,” which processes donations to Meduza, blocked most of these transfers.

In light of these events, Meduza has temporarily suspended new direct payments through our support.meduza.io platform, but we are still accepting donations through PayPal and cryptocurrency.

If you already donated money to Meduza, you have our heartfelt thanks and our assurances that your data are perfectly safe. If you have any questions or if your debit or credit card was charged a payment to Meduza without your knowledge, please contact us at [email protected]. 

Why would hackers try to give money to Meduza? Mass payments using stolen bank account information can damage crowdfunding campaigns. The receiving party (in this case, Meduza) loses money on mandatory refunds (due to commission fees), and support services can “drown” in complaints from victims.