[jessriedel]

> How can we even know the answer to that question?

Huh? People report extortion and muggings to the authorities routinely. Combining that with surveys to estimate non-reports should allow us to get a very good estimate.

> How many of the people who do not pay these ransoms do you really think are hit again?

About the same number as people who do pay: Few.

[jacquesm]

Companies are very quiet (usually, the company linked in the article is an exception to that rule) about being extorted.