FBI Shuts Down $72 Million Scareware Operation

[Jack]

he FBI has shut down two international cyber crime operations focused on the distribution of scareware applications and responsible for over losses of over $74 million.

Under the name "Operation Trident Tribunal," the FBI, assisted by law enforcement agencies from Ukraine, Latvia, Germany, Netherlands, Cyprus, France, Lithuania, Romania, Canada, Sweden, the United Kingdom, have seized 40 computers, servers, and bank accounts belonging to the gangs responsible.

One ring targeted by this law enforcement action is thought to have tricked 960,000 victims into buing licenses for fake antivirus programs at a price of up to $129.

The gang used various methods to trick users into downloading and installing the rogue applications, including displaying fake security alerts and malware scans on web pages. The damages are estimated at $72.

In addition, two Latvian nationals were indicted in Minneapolis for setting up a phony advertising agency and buying advertising space on legitimate websites for malicious purposes.

More details - link

 

[Guest28]

This is great news! but There is so much other stuff to be stopped. Hopefully operations like this will improve over years and can stop more.

 

[jamescv7]

Its good to hear that authorities are doing their job to shutdown who were the responsible behind of all mess.

 

[Vextor]

Great, this is one part of the progress against Cybercrime, but it will take many, many years to eradicate it completely, and even that is very unlikely.

 

[gery79]

sometimes i think why there are so many people fulled to buy an antivirus software when there are many good ones just for free. they are so lazy ( obviously have a lot of money) and they think their credit card can buy the whole world. I feel sorry and yet i think there is a lesson to be taken here from everyone. But at the end the good news is still good news
cheers Gery

 

[bogdan]

Applications do what they are programmed to do, and yes, they can lie to you if that's what the developer instructed them to do. People fooled by rogues probably don't realize this.

Great, this is one part of the progress against Cybercrime, but it will take many, many years to eradicate it completely, and even that is very unlikely.

Eradicate cyber-crime or any other type of crime? I don't think so. But it is good that agencies from different countries are learning how to cooperate and work together.