Spanish police have arrested a gang of cyber
criminals who were extorting as much as one million euros a year ($1.3m)
using ransomware.
The leader of the gang, a 27-year old Russian, was arrested while on holiday in Dubai in December. Ten other gang members six Russians, two Ukrainians and two Georgians, who were apparently responsible for laundering proceeds of the scam, were arrested in Spain.
The cyber crime used a malware that was first seen in 2005, although the gang adapted it to target end users in 30 countries. The ransomware, known as Reveton, was tailored to look like a message from different police authorities, which would freeze the user PC until they paid a fine of 100 euros for accessing file sharing, child pornography or terrorist sites.
The money was laundered through PaySafeCard/UKash vouchers, with the ransom paid in the US, transferred to the gang in Spain, and laundered and the proceeds wired to Russia.
Trend Micro's eCrimes unit was heavily involved in the investigation, which the company warns is ongoing, and that the Reveton malware is still in the wild.
The leader of the gang, a 27-year old Russian, was arrested while on holiday in Dubai in December. Ten other gang members six Russians, two Ukrainians and two Georgians, who were apparently responsible for laundering proceeds of the scam, were arrested in Spain.
The cyber crime used a malware that was first seen in 2005, although the gang adapted it to target end users in 30 countries. The ransomware, known as Reveton, was tailored to look like a message from different police authorities, which would freeze the user PC until they paid a fine of 100 euros for accessing file sharing, child pornography or terrorist sites.
The money was laundered through PaySafeCard/UKash vouchers, with the ransom paid in the US, transferred to the gang in Spain, and laundered and the proceeds wired to Russia.
Trend Micro's eCrimes unit was heavily involved in the investigation, which the company warns is ongoing, and that the Reveton malware is still in the wild.
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