The hackers responsible for the devastating cyber attacks on M&S and Co-op have allegedly placed all UK retailers on the 'Blacklist' in a nod to the popular television series.
Claiming to be behind the attacks that saw supermarket shelves cleared and mass disruption nationwide, the alleged hackers have now provided evidence which proves that substantial amounts of private customer and employee information has been stolen.
In Telegram messages reportedly exchanged for five hours between the alleged cyber crooks and the BBC's cyber correspondent, they expressed frustration that the Co-op had not given in to their ransom demands, while also failing to confirm the Bitcoin figure demanded in exchange for not revealing or selling off the stolen data.
And, while keeping their identity and location unknown, the hackers even highlighted their unwavering bid for fame and notoriety, claiming that they eventually wanted to be known as 'Raymond Reddington' and 'Dembe Zuma', two characters from the hit US crime thriller show The Blacklist.
In a message to the BBC, they boastfully proclaimed: 'We're putting UK retailers on the Blacklist.'
