The former Formula 1 legend has once again come under attention for a shocking blackmail attempt by his former bodyguard. Admittedly the 55-year-old racing icon has been out of public reach since the unfortunate skiing accident that left him incapacitated since December 2013. He has emerged now as the centerpiece of an allegedly £12 million-extortion scheme orchestrated by an ex-aid, plaguing his family who have been working tirelessly in concealing all about the death and keeping the public away from the details regarding this condition.
Former bodyguard of Schumacher, Markus Fritsche, is headlined as the mastermind behind this sinister scheme. Called to service for the Schumacher family just a paltry 18 months prior to the accident, he gained unbelievable access to the family and even the most confidential specifics of Schumacher’s medical treatment as the latter recovered. However, fired from that position, Fritsche now developed revenge and attempted to blackmail the family with a ransom of a whopping £12 million.
Fritsche, now 53, is believed to have teamed up with two accomplices: his long-time friend Yilmaz Tozturkan and Tozturkan’s son, Lins, who is an IT expert. All three had reportedly been into some treasure trove of personal and extremely sensitive materials. Among the stolen items were the 1,500 photos, 200 videos, and confidential medical records related to Schumacher’s recovery. Allegedly, this collection was stored in USB sticks and hard drives that Fritsche had stolen when he was relieved from his post.
“Tocht jurisch,” says the German prosecutor, “Fritsche threatened to publish this private material on the dark web unless he received ransom money of £12 million.” Tozturkan was the first to contact the Schumacher family through a withheld number on June 3, calling them up and telling them about the extortion. Just a while later, on June 11, Lins Tozturkan allegedly sent four images to the Schumacher residence as proof of the stolen material, demanding ransom money within a month.
For a long time, the Schumacher family had made efforts to protect their private lives from those who want to take advantage of them. Michael himself has had a very long and private rehabilitation journey since the accident. The family’s efforts to keep the information on his health and his life out of the public eye now faces an even greater challenge with this blackmail plot. The threats made by the blackmailers about releasing such personal and sensitive information are really grave issues for both Schumacher’s legacy and his family in their lives.
As such, the plot has come to highlight at shocking levels the number of extortions and exploitation incidents occurring to very private people. Sources indicate that the family may have sought legal redress and are prosecuting offenders with respect to their actions.