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Brazilian Hacker Smash
John Stith
Staff Writer
2006-02-15
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Brazilian authorities raided a phishing scam, arresting 55 people, in which authorities believe millions of dollars were stolen. The scams reportedly swiped $4.6 million from 200 accounts in six different banks.
The raid happened in Campina Grande in the state of Paraiba, about 1,100 miles northeast of Rio. The raid involved over 330 federal officers and they continue rounding up suspects.
The modus operandi for the gang included spyware Trojan horses, which lifted the appropriate information from computers including account information and passwords. The viruses started circulating in May of 2005. Perhaps the scariest thing about this is the purported leader of the ring is 19-years-old and several members arrested so far are minors.
"Phishing is big business, and in recent years we have seen a tidal wave of Trojan horses and other malware coming from Brazil designed to spy upon users of internet bank websites," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos. "The Brazilian police should be congratulated for putting resource into investigating these organised crime campaigns, and we hope this will send out a strong message to others contemplating emptying online bank accounts."
"It's disturbing to see young people turning to internet crime to make fast and easy money," continued Cluley. "Criminals are writing more malware than ever before, designed to steal bank account information from innocent computer users. All internet users need to ensure their computers are properly defended with the latest up-to-date protection software, and make sure they are not putting themselves at risk."
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About the Author:
John is a staff writer for SecurityProNews covering cyber security.
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