Hacker’s Heist: 10-Year Slammer Sentence for Data Thief Who Couldn’t Resist the Dark Web’s Tempting Offerings
Robert Purbeck, the digital Houdini who thought stealing personally identifiable information was a magic trick, got caught with more than a rabbit in his hat. Now he’s facing 10 years in a different kind of “escape room,” thanks to his misguided adventures in the world of hacking and Bitcoin extortion.
Hot Take:
Robert Purbeck: The unfortunate poster child for why “hacking for dummies” shouldn’t exist. Who knew that breaking into servers and channeling your inner Bond villain by extorting an orthodontist would land you behind bars for a decade? Maybe next time he’ll think twice before trying to trade braces for Bitcoin!
Key Points:
- Robert Purbeck hacked into 19 servers across the US, stealing PII of 132,000 people.
- In 2017, he accessed a medical clinic’s server, stealing data of over 43,000 individuals.
- In 2018, he extorted an orthodontist for Bitcoin, threatening to expose patient data.
- The FBI seized Purbeck’s devices in 2019, leading to his eventual guilty plea.
- Purbeck received a 10-year prison sentence and must pay over $1 million in restitution.
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