The Bell reports getting hacked after newsletter subscribers receive a ‘provocative’ email

The online publication The Bell has reported that it was hacked after its newsletter subscribers received an email containing a “provocative text” on the morning of September 2.

“We were hacked again. Our subscribers have just received a newsletter with a strange, provocative text that we did not write or send. We’re looking into what happened and ask for everyone’s forgiveness.”

Meduza obtained the text of the email that was sent to The Bell’s subscribers. The fake newsletter talks about the upcoming elections in Russia and calls for a boycott of the vote. The Bell has published no such materials on its website or social media in the past.

The mailout The Bell’s editorial staff sent out following the hack reads as follows:

“Everything that we know about the attack so far indicates that the hackers didn’t gain access to subscriber data. The Bell is not involved in political activities and never encourages readers to take any actions. Our only task is to provide you with objective information. We are continuing to sort it out and will definitely inform you of the details.”

On August 25, The Bell reported that its website had stopped working due to an external attack. Earlier that month, The Bell journalist Irina Pankratova said there had been an attempt to hack her cell phone.