Michael Schumacher blackmailers receive charges

Three men have been charged with attempting to blackmail the family of former Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher, by threatening to release private photos of the seven-time champion on the dark web unless they received €15 million (£12.5 million).

The men will now face trial after prosecutors in Wuppertal, Germany, formally brought charges against them.

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The blackmail plot involved a former security employee of the Schumacher family who allegedly supplied the private images, according to Auto Motor und Sport.

Another man and his son then reportedly carried out the blackmail attempt by making multiple phone calls to the family, demanding the substantial sum in exchange for keeping the photos from being released online.

Blackmail attempt on the Schumachers

The material used in the extortion attempt is believed to have been provided by the former security staffer, who was responsible for the digitisation of private family photos.

When arrested, authorities seized a significant amount of evidence, including hard drives, USB sticks, and mobile phones, according to the report.

Schumacher, a seven-time F1 world champion, suffered a life-altering skiing accident in 2013, and has not been seen in public since.

His health has remained a private matter, fiercely guarded by his family, making the attempted exploitation of his condition particularly distressing.

The investigation was launched following a tip-off from Swiss law enforcement agencies.

German authorities then deployed 'technical measures' to trace the suspected blackmailers to Wuppertal, where they were operating.

This is not the first time Schumacher's family has been targeted. In 2017, a 25-year-old man was sentenced to 21 months on probation by the Reutlingen District Court in Baden-Württemberg for attempting to blackmail Schumacher’s wife, Corinna.

With this latest case now heading to court, the Schumacher family continues to endure unwelcome attention as they strive to maintain their privacy amid Schumacher’s ongoing recovery.

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