The portal group for adultsFriday FriendFinder Networks recognized a "potential safety problem", after the press reported that the personal information of about 3.9 million users were stolen byhackers.
The group, which manages several adult dating portals, said on its website that it had "recently been informed of a potential problem of data security and values into perspective the seriousness of the situation."
"We have already begun to work closely with law enforcement and started a thorough investigation with the help of an independent investigator," he explained the group.
Until the investigation is conducted "is very difficult to determine with certainty the full extent of the incident," he said.
Earlier, the British broadcaster Channel 4 reported that data from 3.9 million users in the world Adult FriendFinder had been pirated and made partly available in the "deep internet" (dark site), a network hidden used for illicit activities.
According to Channel 4, the data revealed include the name of the users, their sexual orientation, preferences, if they seek extramarital relationships, email address, birth date, zip code or even the IP address of your computer.
The attack was reported a month ago by cybersecurity expert Bev Robb, who had discovered this information in the "dark web". "There is abundant information that identifies people at a forum in the Darknet," Robb said last month . The expert said that no bank details were revealed.
According to experts, the data showed could be used in scams or blackmail.
FriendFinder Networks was created in 1996 in California and quickly created a dozen portals for adults. In late 2007, he bought the publishing group of the US version of the erotic Penthouse magazine.