EXCLUSIVE: Hackers breach Andrew Tate’s online university—obtain chat logs and leak data on 800,000 users
An online course founded by far-right influencer Andrew Tate was breached by hackers, revealing the email addresses of roughly 325,000 users.
The self-described online university, known as The Real World, offers users "advanced training and mentoring" for around $50 per month. Formerly known as Hustler's University, the platform focuses on topics such as health and fitness, financial investment, and e-commerce businesses.
"Money making is a skill," the website states. "We will teach you how to master it."
On Thursday, the hackers made their actions known by flooding the course's primary chatroom with emojis they uploaded while Tate was streaming an episode of his show "Emergency Meeting" on Rumble.
The emojis included a transgender flag, a feminist fist, an AI-generated image of Tate draped in a rainbow flag, another where his buttocks are enlarged, and the cat character used in the "boykisser" meme.
The Daily Dot was provided with approximately 794,000 usernames for what are believed to be the site's current and former members, as well as the contents of the platform's 221 public and 395 private chat servers. A list of 324,382 unique email addresses that appear to belong to users who were removed for failure to pay was also handed over.
In a statement on the breach, the hackers claimed that after accessing the data they were able to leverage a vulnerability "to upload emojis, delete attachments, crash everyone's clients, and temporarily ban people" from the platform.
The Real World claims it currently has over 113,000 active users. If accurate, the site at minimum would generate upwards of $5,650,000 every month.
A source with knowledge of the breach told the Daily Dot that "hacktivism" was cited as a motive, and that the platform's security was described as "hilariously insecure."
Analysis of the chat logs by the Daily Dot shows everything from inspirational quotes and progress updates to complaints over the "LGBTQ agenda."
"Maybe it’s just the MSM, but I am starting to fear for my own safety and the future of the USA," one user wrote following the first assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. "Shootings every day, LGBTQ agenda, the matrix, I live in a very good area with a very good home life but I am sick of all this garbage happening here."
Tate, a 37-year-old former reality TV star and kickboxer, is known best as a leading figure in the "manosphere." The manosphere is described as a series of websites, blogs, and forums that primarily promote masculinity, although critics argue that a significant portion of the content is toxic in nature.
Tate previously described himself as a misogynist and is known for his disparaging views towards women. A dual U.S.-U.K. national, Tate is currently awaiting trial on human trafficking charges in Romania.
In total, Tate is facing five legal investigations stemming from Romania and the U.K. Other allegations include those involving the rape and sex trafficking of minors, as well as forming an organized crime group to sexually exploit women. Tate has denied the charges.
The email addresses from the dump were provided by the hackers to HaveIBeenPwned, a service that alerts users when their credentials are leaked. Those email addresses as well as the chat data were also handed over to the journalism collective DDoSecrets, which hosts hacked and leaked data in the public interest.
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