It ‘felt fishy’: Kids’ game operator rebuffed fake data request

On March 13, the administrators of an online game marketed for children called Toontown Rewritten received an emergency request for user information that appeared to come from a police captain in Bangladesh. — Photo by Bermix Studio on Unsplash

The data request was in all caps and urgent: “EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCE DISCLOSURE REQUEST IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!” On March 13, the administrators of an online game marketed for children called Toontown Rewritten received an emergency request for user information that appeared to come from a police captain in Bangladesh.

“We have reasonable suspicion to believe multiple individuals have engaged, acted and perpetrated in child porn distribution, blackmail and terroristic bomb threats against high levels of Bangladesh officials and family,” wrote “Captain Samuel Ramsel” of the Bhaka Cyber Crime Division, in an email.