Fox News – LONDON – The group known as Anonymous said Saturday it has hacked into some 70 law enforcement websites across the southern and central United States in retaliation for arrests of its sympathizers in the U.S. and Britain.
The hacking group also claimed to have stolen 10 gigabytes of data, including emails, credit card details, and other information from local law enforcement bodies.
“We are releasing a massive amount of confidential information that is sure to [embarrass], discredit and incriminate police officers across the US,” the group said in a statement, adding that it hoped the leak would “demonstrate the inherently corrupt nature of law enforcement using their own words” and “disrupt and sabotage their ability to communicate and terrorize communities.”
Anonymous’ claims couldn’t all be immediately verified, but a review of the sites it claims to have targeted — mainly sheriffs’ offices in places such as Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Mississippi — showed that most were unavailable or had been wiped clean of content.
The group also posted five credit card numbers it said it used to make “involuntary donations.” At least four of the names and other personal details published to the Internet appeared genuine, although those contacted by The Associated Press said they did not know whether their financial information had been compromised.
Many calls to various sheriffs’ offices across the country went unanswered or weren’t returned Saturday, but at least two confirmed the cyber attack. More
