May 26, 2016
A relatively unknown division of the Anonymous hacker collective that goes by the name of Anonymous Analytics has been sabotaging companies on the stock market by revealing flaws in their financial statements, with catastrophic results.
The group, which was founded in 2011, is comprised of former Anonymous hackers who decided that hacking into companies, dumping data, or launching DDoS attacks is not enough.
Anonymous Analytics are the stock market’s vigilantes
Instead, they decided to use their skills as market analysts and black hat hackers to scour the Internet for clues, sometimes with less-than-ethical techniques, and then compile financial reports on the companies they find cheating on the stock market.
Until now, the group has published reports on eleven companies. The list includes mostly US and Chinese corporations, among which the most recognizable names are Qihoo 360 and Western Union.
Its most resounding success was the report on REXLot, a Chinese-based lottery machine service. Anonymous Analytics revealed that REXLot inflated its revenue and the amount of cash on its balance sheet, based on the amount of interest earned.