Published in News

Cops shut down malware botnet

by on24 June 2011


Hacked a million computers
Cops in the US and seven other countries have shut down a cybercrime ring responsible for $US74 million in losses to more than 1 million computer users.

According to the Untouchables Operation Trident Tribunal targeted criminal networks preying on computer users through scareware. According to AP, coppers in Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Latvia and Lithuania were involved in the raids.

In Minneapolis two were charged with wire fraud, conspiracy and computer fraud. Peteris Sahurovs, 22, and Marina Maslobojeva, 23, were arrested in Rezekne, Latvia. The two allegedly created a phony advertising agency and claimed they represented a hotel chain that wanted to buy online ad space on the Minneapolis Star Tribune's news website.

When the ad began running on the website, the defendants changed the code in the ad so that visitors to the Star Tribune website were infected with a software program that launched the scareware.

More here.

 

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