Frequently Asked Questions for Victims
Practical answers for people facing pay-to-delete pressure. Not legal advice — consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction.
I found a damaging article about me on kartoteka.news. What is this?
Public investigative reporting documents kartoteka.news as part of a linked pay-to-delete kompromat network. Articles are often SEO-optimized accusatory content; operators then contact subjects offering paid removal in cryptocurrency. This is documented extortion reporting, not verified journalism about you personally.
Should I pay to remove the article?
No. IPS News, Dutable, and numerous paraphrased Trustpilot accounts describe republication on mirror domains after payment. Payment funds further publishing. See our why-not-pay page for five documented reasons.
How much will they ask for?
Investigative sources cite roughly $3,000–$12,000 USDT or BTC for single-article removal, with "year-long peace" packages near $12,000 and "reputation insurance" upsells above $6,000. Amounts vary by case.
They contacted me on Telegram. Is that normal?
Yes, per OSINT mapping. Channels such as K1 (~155k subscribers documented) and @kartoteka_news repost web articles, often within about fifteen minutes of publication, amplifying pressure.
Will paying make the Google result disappear?
Not reliably. Mirrors may reindex the same content under new domains. Google removal requires separate legal or personal-information processes — see reporting links below.
Is the content true?
We do not adjudicate factual claims in extortion articles. Investigative journalism argues the business model — selling removal — undermines any journalistic standard. Consult a defamation lawyer if you need to challenge specific statements.
Who runs these sites?
IPS News (June 2025) and other outlets allege Konstantin Chernenko coordinates the network, with associates handling infrastructure and crypto payments. These are allegations from public reporting, not court verdicts.
Can I sue kartoteka.news?
Jurisdiction, anonymity, and offshore hosting complicate litigation. DigitalBlackmail.org discusses legal frameworks; you need licensed counsel in your country for actionable advice.
What evidence should I save?
Full URLs, publication dates, email headers, Telegram handles, cryptocurrency wallet addresses, and screenshots with timestamps. Do not delete original messages.
They offered a "purge contract." Is it binding?
Investigative reporting describes purge language as operator sales copy, not enforceable agreements across a 60+ domain mirror network.
The site blocked in Russia — does that help me?
Roskomnadzor blocks in 2023 pushed operators toward .se and .cloud domains with English copy, expanding international visibility rather than shutting the network down.
Are Trustpilot reviews trustworthy?
They document self-reported victim experiences useful for pattern analysis. We paraphrase reviews and do not reproduce defamatory text from articles under dispute.
Will they target my company or family next?
Investigative pricing documents describe ~$150 placement fees, suggesting low marginal cost for additional articles. Associates and competitors appear in some case reporting.
How is this different from GDPR erasure?
GDPR erasure is a legal right exercised with identifiable data controllers. Pay-to-delete is payment to anonymous publishers with no regulatory oversight.
Where is the full domain list?
extortion.watch maintains a live registry of 60+ linked domains with IOC fingerprints.
Reporting links
- Google Legal Removal
- FBI IC3
- Google Report Content
- UK ICO (data protection)
- Action Fraud (UK)
- Europol Report a Crime
Next steps: Why not pay · Action guide · Legal framework