FBI probes chilling emails sent to Sony workers, threatening their families after hacking scandal

THE FBI is investigating threatening emails sent to Sony workers in the wake of the hacking scandal, which led to celebrity salaries being leaked online.

Pedestrians walk past Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles, California on December 4, 2014, a day after Sony Pictures denounced a "brazen" cyber attack it said netted a "large amount" of confidential information, including movies as well as personnel and business files, but downplaying a report that North Korea was behind the attack, saying it did not yet know the full extent of the "malicious" security breach. AFP PHOTO/Frederic J. BROWN

THE FBI is investigating threatening emails sent to Sony Pictures workers in the wake of the hacking scandal, which leaked celebrity salaries online.

An email, written in broken English, has revealed that Sony employees were told to object to “the false of the company.”

“If you don’t,” the message warns, “not only you but your family will be in danger.”

The FBI have not disclosed too many details about who wrote or sent the email, but Variety.com reports that a group called the Guardians of Peace that claims they are responsible for hitting the company with the cyberattack last month, were also behind the email.

SONY HACK: More celebrity salaries leaked

Under attack ... Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles, California. Picture: AFP

Sony representatives have not commented on the frightening threats since they emerged.

The cyberattacks have leaked Sony’s unreleased movies and personal employee information online.

The FBI probe comes after the Sony hacking scandal got bigger yesterday, with more than 47,000 workers’ private information leaked online.

The information includes celebrity salaries and their home addresses.

Files from current and former workers include Australian actor Rebel Wilson, US star Sylvester Stallone and director Judd Apatow, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Affected ... Rebel Wilson, who has worked for Sony on screen.

It is understood that the leaked files contained Sony workers’ Social Security numbers, salaries and home addresses for those who worked at Sony Pictures from as far back as 2000.

The Wall Street Journal said that the data-security firm Identity Finder LLC analysed 33,000 of the SPE documents and found such personal information within it.

Data leaked ... linked to Sylvester Stallone. Picture: Getty Images

It was reportedly stored in Microsoft Excel files without any password protection.

The hacking scandal also revealed how much Seth Rogen and James Franco made from starring in their film, The Interview, which was produced by Sony.

ROGEN AND FRANCO: What the Sony hack revealed

On screen ... Dave (James Franco) and Aaron (Seth Rogen) in The Interview.

There has been speculation that the attack was North Korean retaliation for the new movie, which is about an attempt to assassinate that country’s leader, Kim Jong Un.

North Korea have denied involvement in the hacking saga so far.

Originally published as FBI probes chilling emails sent to Sony workers, threatening their families after hacking scandal