Star Casino Blackmailed with Data Leak Threat by Unsuccessful Job Applicant

• Gambling
• 12 June 2024

Sydney's Star Casino has received a court order against a man who started extorting the casino after his job application was rejected. 

The individual, known solely as “AB” in legal papers, sought employment at the Star in January, according to Australia’s Daily Telegraph. However, he was unsuccessful when a routine police check revealed that he had not disclosed his extensive criminal record. 

This encompassed convictions for deceitfulness, vehicle theft, violating domestic violence orders, and various traffic violations. 

Seeking Retribution 

On April 7, one week after his job rejection, AB sent an email to Star’s HR department insisting that his former girlfriend, a manager at the casino, be terminated by 10 a.m. that day. According to court documents, if the casino did not comply, he would “reveal all the customers’ banking and privacy to [sic] the public.” 

His email contained screenshots that seemed to display sensitive customer data from the casino's internal database. 

AB had discreetly acquired the information from a phone that belonged to his ex-partner, whose position at the casino allowed her entry to the database. The pair had recently parted ways, and it seems AB was now pursuing retribution against both the Star and his former partner. 

In just a few minutes, Star reached out to AB to alert him that he was putting himself at risk of “civil and criminal liability.” 

“She has to go, or I will put the information out,” AB replied, according to court filings.

The Star aimed for prompt legal measures, issuing AB a summons in less than 48 hours. This week, the NSW Supreme Court issued a permanent injunction preventing AB from disclosing any data. 

Change of Mind 

AB did not carry out his threat to disclose the data publicly and eventually seemed to have a change of mind. 

He contacted the Star's lawyers via email to apologize, stating that he was “heavy on alcoholic [sic] and drugs” when he made the threat and couldn't actually recall issuing it.

"I don’t recall any of this, I’m sorry. I don’t have nothing. To be honest, just was in a different world. I don’t even remember doing or saying this,” he wrote.

He dispatched another email a few weeks afterward, detailing the "medication-triggered depression" that had led him to behave unusually. He mentioned that he has now started rehab. 

He requested that his former girlfriend not face punishment due to his behavior, stating she was not involved in the debacle. 

It remains uncertain if AB will encounter any criminal charges due to his actions.