Teen Boy stores PC-virus, Faces Arrest

The cyber-crime division of Tokyo Metropolitan Police recently detained one teenager boy aged 14 because he understandably stored one PC-virus that he utilized to carry out spurious money remittances, published The Japan Times dated November 4, 2015.

Belonging to the Japanese city of Sapporo's Jr. High School, the student studying in 2nd year agreed he committed the crime, said the division.

Based on suspicion that he possessed Zeus Trojan, the boy's detention followed. Zeus is one PC-virus that helps in spuriously transferring funds from bank A/Cs operated online. The Trojan was found stored on one PC at the suspect's house as well as on a foreign server for file-sharing during June-September 2015.

The boy presented 3 types of PC-viruses with Zeus as one for sale priced 10,000-50,000 Yen. The sale presentation was posted to a foreign website with plea that the payment be made via gift certificates to be used on an Internet shopping website.

A security researcher discovered the sale message during July 2015, after which he persuaded the boy through several e-mails to sell the data to him that he downloaded to substantiate that the malware was one PC-virus. The teenager believably acquired the virus free-of-cost.

Evidences from an investigation indicate that the suspect began operating computer while he studied at elementary school's upper grades. Believably, he sold viruses many times once he reached the Jr. High School.

Disturbingly, cases as the aforementioned kind suggest the popularity of Zeus Trojan among cyber-criminals who execute information stealing scams, remark security analysts of the above described detention.

Their remark gets backing from another case of some persons in Ukraine whom law enforcement from Europe arrested during September 2015 via one combined operation which targeted the suspects for allegedly making, disseminating and employing SpyEye and Zeus banker Trojans.

Officials arrested 5 individuals recognized as skilful cyber-crooks, searched 8 houses within 4 cities, as well as confiscated electronic devices and computer equipment to conduct forensic examination.

The entire operation done June 18-19, 2015 continued from one investigation begun during 2013 that gathered large volumes of data on the threat obtained from reports of intelligence analysis and forensic investigations.

» SPAMfighter News - 11/13/2015