Author Archives: Jeff Stone

Russia arrests Group-IB CEO Illya Sachkov on reported treason charges

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Russian authorities have arrested the head of a prominent cybersecurity firm on charges of treason and will keep him in custody for two months, a Moscow court said Wednesday. The Lefortovo District Court of Moscow ordered the arrest of Illya Sachkov, the chief executive of Group-IB, on charges of high treason, the Russian news agency TASS reported. Law enforcement also raided the company’s offices in Moscow. While the exact circumstances of the case remain unclear, Sachkov appears to be charged with transferring intelligence data to special services outside Russia, TASS reported. The CEO has reportedly denied any wrongdoing. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Group-IB works as a global security vendor known in part for its role in investigating international scammers, including specialized email hackers and credit card thieves. The company, with offices in Moscow and Singapore, was awarded by the Kremlin in 2019 “for […]

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Convicted scammer who had starring role in dispute between Russia, Israel unexpectedly deported

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A convicted Russian scammer who was the focus of an international standoff was deported to his home country 14 months after receiving a long prison sentence in the U.S., Russian media reported. Officers from Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs detained Aleksei Burkov at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow following his deportation from the U.S., the state-owned media conglomerate RIA reported on Sept. 28. The move comes after an American court sentenced Burkov to nine years in a U.S. prison after he pleaded guilty to charges related to operating two illicit web forums that hackers used to trade stolen data and pool their resources. Israeli authorities initially arrested Burkov in November 2015, sparking a legal fight over extradition between Russia, Israel and the U.S. Kremlin officials spent years trying to convince an Israeli judge to send Burkov to Russia, where he reportedly faces separate charges. When it became clear that Israeli would put […]

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Phone scammers use COVID-19 vaccine appointments to try tricking victims into downloading malware

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Hackers are targeting American and Canadian victims with a malware strain that used coronavirus-themed messages to dupe users into downloading software that collects their personal information, according to findings published Thursday. The scammers, whose identities are unknown, rely on SMS text messages focused on fictional COVID-19 regulations and vaccine information to trick recipients into clicking a link. That link triggers a malicious software — dubbed TangleBot — that infects a user device to collect call data, microphone and camera access and can be combined with other hacking tools to gather financial data. The latest research from Cloudmark, a subsidiary of the email security firm Proofpoint, comes amid ongoing revelations about the ways that attackers have weaponized mobile technology to gather information about unwitting users. Some 85% of Americans now own smartphones, up from 35% in 2011, and increasingly trust the devices to communicate and browse the internet in a way […]

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UK government group that is relocating Afghan interpreters exposed their sensitive email addresses

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British government officials apologized after the U.K.’s Ministry of Defense exposed data about Afghan interpreters who worked with British troops in the Middle East, a slip that could have exposed the identities of people who are at risk of harassment and death. Email addresses belonging to more than 250 people who sought a move to the U.K. were exposed when a British defense official copied all the addresses in a single message, the BBC first reported. Email recipients could have opened the message to view the other names, and access profile pictures associated with interpreters. Afghan interpreters and their families have been the subject of intense focus for the Taliban, which has reportedly killed people who aided U.S. and British troops in the wake of the military pull out in August. The email in question was sent by the U.K.’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Program team, the group leading an […]

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Police say scammers who used email fraud, SIM swapping are connected to Italian mafia

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Police in Europe have arrested more than 100 people who allegedly stole more than $11 million in a years-long fraud operation that law enforcement officials have linked to an Italian mafia group. Officials in Italy and Spain arrested 106 suspects who are accused of using phishing, credit card fraud and other cybercrime techniques in conjunction with drug trafficking and property crime, according to the European law enforcement agency Europol. Thieves used business email compromise schemes and SIM swapping — in which scammers take control of a victim’s phone number to steal sensitive information — before laundering the funds via a network of shell companies and money mules, police said in a statement Monday. The bust is the latest evidence hinting at the extent to which established organized crime groups are adopting the methods typically used by hackers. While scammers are known to operate in loose crime rings in Russia, Nigeria […]

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Anonymous says it’s leaking hacked data from Epik, a right-wing hosting service

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Members of the umbrella hacking movement Anonymous say they leaked information about a range of fringe websites after breaching Epik, a web hosting provider and domain registrar service, marking the latest update in a generation of internet activism from the group. Anonymous claimed in a series of posts they have released 180 GB of information, amounting to “a decade’s worth of data” about Epik, which has made it possible for right-wing clients including the Republican Party of Texas, the social network Gab, the Twitter alternative Parler and the extremist site 8chan to remain online. Leaked data reportedly includes details about domain purchases and website registration information about apparent operators of websites that promote militant ideologies. Epik has denied any awareness of a breach, and said it is investigating the claims. The news, first reported Sept. 13 by Steven Monacelli, represents the latest example of Anonymous — made up of self-professed […]

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FTC threatens fines for health apps that fail to report compromised data

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App developers and device operators that collect health data about Americans must alert consumers in the event their personal information is compromised or shared without permission, the Federal Trade Commission ruled Wednesday. The U.S. consumer protection agency voted 3-2 on a new regulation that is meant to clarify the 2009 Health Notification Rule, which details how companies should tell consumers if their data is improperly shared or breached. The decision Wednesday extends the 2009 rule to cover health apps, fitness trackers and other connected devices that have risen in popularity over the past decade. “The global pandemic has hastened the adoption of virtual health assistants, with Americans placing their trust in various technologies to track and manage their personal health,” FTC chair Lina Khan said in a statement. “As we have seen, however, digital apps are routinely caught playing fast and loose with user data, leaving users’ health information susceptible […]

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ATM skimmer sentenced to 4 years after bank cameras, license plate readers captured crime spree

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A U.S. judge sentenced a Romanian man who installed data-stealing devices on ATMs throughout New York City and New Jersey to more than four years in prison in what is only the latest example of scammers using crude technical methods to access victims’ bank accounts. District Judge Peter Sherian imposed the punishment Monday on Dorinel Trofin, a 47-year-old man who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Bank surveillance cameras and police license plate readers placed Trofin and a partner at dozens of locations where ATM skimmers were found. As part of a fraud ring, Trofin and his associate, Ionut Parachiv, would install hidden card-reading machines on popular ATMs, copying customers’ information and then withdrawing cash from the same accounts later. The pair also installed pinhole cameras in the cash machines to capture customers’ personal identification numbers. The effort affected more than 1,000 people and involved more than […]

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Olympus investigating reported ransomware attack with BlackMatter hallmarks

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A Japanese technology manufacturer confirmed it is investigating a reported ransomware attack affecting business units in Europe, the Middle East and Africa dating back to Sept. 8. In a statement Saturday, Tokyo-based Olympus said it’s looking into “a potential cybersecurity incident” that resulted in the suspicion of data transfers between relevant systems. The apparent breach is in fact a ransomware incident that began on Sept. 8 carried out by a hacker who claims to be affiliated with the BlackMatter extortion group, TechCrunch first reported. The attacker included a note on infected computers promising to decrypt the relevant systems in exchange for payment, according to TechCrunch. “Upon detection of suspicious activity, we immediately mobilized a specialized response team including forensics experts, and we are currently working with the highest priority to resolve this issue,” the company said. The ransom message directed recipients to visit a page reportedly known to be affiliated […]

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Money launderer connected to North Korean government hackers, ‘Hushpuppi’ is sentenced to 11 years

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A U.S. court sentenced a Canadian man to 11 years in prison for his role in a global hacking and money laundering scheme allegedly spearheaded by North Korean cybercriminals. Ghaleb Alaumary, a 36-year-old Ontario native, was sentenced Wednesday to 140 months in federal prison and to pay more than $30 million in restitution after pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering, the Justice Department announced. The defendant’s role involved providing bank accounts into which North Korean hackers could funnel stolen currency, and then recruiting individuals to withdraw cash from ATMs around the world. The millions of dollars came from sources including the 2019 theft of a Maltese bank, a 2018 fraud from Pakistan’s BankIslami, as well as a professional soccer team based in the U.K., according to the Justice Department. Alaumary was also reportedly connected to Ramon Abbas, a Nigerian Instagram influencer better known as “Hushpuppi” […]

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