网络作者gwern在2012年至2017年间遭遇多次勒索和威胁事件[1]。勒索者声称掌握其真实身份信息，试图通过索要比特币或信息来获利，但这些勒索均无实质证据支持[1]。
勒索事件始于2012年9月，当时一名匿名人士要求支付48.76美元作为赎金以交换Pivory论坛用户名，被作者拒绝[1]。到了2013年11月至12月，情况升级，多人声称gwern即是暗网市场创始人Dread Pirate Roberts（DPR）或比特币创始人中本聪（Satoshi Nakamoto），要求支付巨额比特币[1]。其中自称jack0fnone的勒索者索要与DPR失窃的31,420,185.26比特币相关的钱包地址，但无法提供任何真实证据[1]。2014年3月，Evolution市场代表声称拥有作者为Dan Crow的证明材料，同样未能提供支持该主张的证据[1]。
事件的转折出现在2015年2月，用户nwerg成功披露了作者的真实信息，但随后拒绝领取作者为此设立的赏金[1]。根据记录，截至2017年12月，作者已为有意义的身份披露支付过两次赏金[1]。
Between 2012 and 2017, gwern, a prominent internet figure, faced multiple extortion attempts from anonymous individuals claiming to possess evidence linking him to various high-profile identities.[1] The attackers demanded substantial payments in Bitcoin or sensitive information in exchange for silence, yet consistently failed to produce any credible proof supporting their allegations.[1]
The extortion campaigns began in September 2012, when an anonymous person demanded $48.76 to release gwern's Pivory forum username, a demand gwern refused to meet.[1] In November and December 2013, multiple extortionists escalated their threats, claiming gwern was either the Dread Pirate Roberts or Satoshi Nakamoto and demanding substantial Bitcoin payments.[1] One attacker, using the handle jack0fnone, went further by requesting gwern send Bitcoin to a wallet allegedly containing $31,420,185.26 in stolen funds linked to DPR, despite providing no genuine evidence of his claims.[1] In March 2014, representatives from the Evolution dark web marketplace asserted they possessed proof identifying gwern as Dan Crow, yet similarly failed to substantiate their assertion.[1]
Gwern responded by establishing a bounty for anyone capable of making a meaningful identity disclosure.[1] The strategy proved partially effective when user nwerg successfully revealed authentic information about gwern's identity in February 2015, though nwerg declined to claim the offered reward.[1] As of December 2017, gwern had paid out bounties on two occasions for legitimate identity revelations.[1]