Massive Cyber-fraud Results in Detentions and Extradition

Anton Ivanov, prime accused in a conspiracy case involving execution of computer-hack and wire fraud, committed other crimes too. Together therefore, on April 19, 2012, he was deported to USA from the northern European country of Estonia. Ivanov will be prosecuted inside the District Court handling cases of New York's southern district, stated Jdsupra.com dated April 23, 2012.

It's alleged that Ivanov along with accomplices, also facing the charge, carried out an enormous scheme of online-fraud in a very sophisticated manner. The operation resulted in malware infection of 4m-or-more PCs within around 100 countries for a long 4-yrs time from 2007 to 2011-autumn. The malware infected various organizations, notable one being the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The infection spread on other PCs that were also government-controlled. Authorities detected the involved servers and subsequently confiscated them from New York and Chicago.

According to the officials, Ivanov's malicious software changed the contaminated PCs' internal settings allowing the defendant and co-defendants towards compromising their victims' PCs. Following this, the men netted huge dollars via click-fraud involving the victims who paid fees for visiting adverts and other websites they didn't intend to.

The malicious software further stopped the installation of updated operating systems or anti-virus programs onto the contaminated PCs. Consequently, the PC-owners remained unwary of Ivanov's malware that made their systems vulnerable to viruses.

Estonian cyber-crime cops arrested Ivanov on November 8, 2011 soon after the official disclosure of the indictment he was charged with.

Preet Bharara U.S. Attorney of Manhattan stated that in the case where the defendants, particularly Ivanov executed their scheme from so far off via planning a horrendous operation, the victims were innocent PC-users, and legitimate websites and ad-makers. It was a serious offense to commit cyber-crime just as its threat was persistent and affected globally calling for similarly global solutions. The detentions along with the deportation symbolized the globally collaborated solution that would combat the menace, while there was full commitment towards countering and conquering the battle, Bharara resolved. Fbi.gov published this during the 4th-week of April 2012.

Ivanov, according to FBI, will be sentenced to prison, though not beyond 85-yrs.

Related article: McAfee Alerts Windows about Accessibility Hole in Vista

» SPAMfighter News - 5/3/2012