"Evil Corp." Russian hackers charged by FBI today!

[cilla4progress]

Can't make this stuff up!


https://www.npr.org/2019/12/05/785034567/russian-hacking-group-evil-corp-charged-by-federal-prosecutors-in-alleged-bank-f

[crickets]

1. Hey, Tucker! What's wrong with Putin?

Trump officials are offering $5 million for information that leads to the arrest of Yakubets, the leader of Evil Corp. Authorities say he drives a Lamborghini with a license plate that reads "Thief" in Russian. [snip]

Officials say Evil Corp. developed and distributed a type of malware that infected computers around the world and harvested banking credentials in order to steal some $100 million.

The malware software was known as Dridex, which automated the theft of confidential information from banking customers after someone clicks on a phishing email, according to officials with the Justice and Treasury departments.

Investigators believe that the Russian government may have been complicit in the criminal enterprise.

"It's simply inconceivable that an organization like this can steal that amount of money from that money places using a distributive malware like Dridex without the Russian government being well-aware of those activities," a senior Treasury officials said.

Yowsa.

Also NPR needs copy editors, jeez.

[Mike 03]

2. A little bit from the article:

Yakubets is alleged to have committed separate cyber crimes on behalf of the Russian government, working for Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), the country's domestic intelligence agency. Last April, he was in the process of getting a license to work with classified information on behalf of the Russian government, according to authorities.

"Evil Corp and their Dridex software serves as yet another example of the Russian government enlisting the assistance of cyber criminals to carry out malign activities," a senior Treasury official said.

In all, the group used malicious software in attempting to steal some $220 million, having successfully illegally transferred about $70 million from individual bank accounts using malware known as Zeus.

[HAB911]

3. Evil Corp, Fraud Guarantee,

What universe am I in?

[Midnight Writer]

4. We are living out a SNL skit.