Anonymous Hackers Clarify Anonyupload Scam not Megaupload Alternative

With Anonyupload's 25 January launch date approaching, individuals reporting themselves as members of Anonymous have contacted the International Business Times UK reporting the site as a scam.

Following on from high profile shutdown of Megaupload the Anonyupload landing page appeared on Monday with a request for funding. Alleging to be affiliated with the Anonymous collective the sites architects posted a statement clarifying they hoped to have it online by 25 January - should they receive the required funding.

The new site promises to offer the same services as the now inactive Megaupload - letting users share video and music by uploading and downloading files. Following the sites appearance a number of Anonymous news sources have issued statements reporting the site as fake.

"FYI - We have NO affiliation with this site, and by the looks of it, this is a SCAM - anonyupload.com," read one tweet from the YourAnonNews' Twitter account.

Where the scam stems is currently unknown and at the time of writing PayPal - the company used by Anonyupload to receive donations - had not responded to the International Business Times UK's requests for comment.

The Anonyupload scam rides on the back of the Anonymous collective's ongoing series of protests against internet censorship. Prior to Anonyupload's appearance the collective had mounted a series of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks against a number of US government agencies and music companies.

The attacks were all cited as protests against the US government ordered shutdown of media-sharing site Megaupload.com by Anonymous. Following on from its initial statement, the collective issued another statement via its AnonymousIRC Twitter feed claiming the attack on the FBI the DDoS was its largest ever.

Anonymous' rampage started after the US Justice Department filed an indictment forcing the Megaupload.com site to be shutdown and calling for the arrest of its founders. The charges against Megaupload's founders currently include racketeering conspiracy, money laundering and plotting to commit copyright infringement.

Prior to this the collective had actively protested the US' Stop Online Piracy and Protect Intellectual Property acts.

Though the fragmented nature of Anonymous makes it difficult to verify which operations it is actually involved in, the collective's central Twitter channels have publicised three new high profile campaigns:

Censorship Wars: Anonymous Hackers Turn Attention to Europe's Acta

OpMegaupload: Anonymous Attack US Online Security Website in SOPA Protest

Anonymous vs Boko Haram: Amnesty International Answer OpNigeria II Call to Arms

UPDATE: 19:34, 24/01/2012 An individual claiming to be Anonyupload's creator has contacted the International Business Times UK, seeking to dispel the confusion and explain their use of the Anonymous moniker. The IBTimes UK has requested proof to verify the individual's claim.

UPDATE: 10:41 25/01/2012 Speaking to the International Business Times UK, Anonyupload's creator has attacked Anonymous claiming he is on their side and wants to work with the collective.

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