Security News
Police breaking into and snooping on the EncroChat encrypted messaging network has led to 6,558 arrests worldwide and nearly €740 million seized in criminal funds, according to cops in France and the Netherlands. In 2020, the two countries led the effort to bust open the communications service, compromising the network's servers and using that access to collect data from EncroChat handsets.
Europol announced today that the takedown of the EncroChat encrypted mobile communications platform has led to the arrest of over 6,600 people and the seizure of $979 million in illicit funds. EncroChat phones ran a special, hardened version of Android that promised users unbreakable encryption, anonymity, and no traceability.
Worldwide, 6558 arrests follow the dismantling of EncroChat, a tool favored by organized crime groups. Nearly EUR 900 million in criminal funds have been seized or frozen.
Europol on Tuesday announced that the takedown of EncroChat in July 2020 led to 6,558 arrests worldwide and the seizure of €900 million in illicit criminal proceeds. The law enforcement agency said that a subsequent joint investigation initiated by French and Dutch authorities intercepted and analyzed over 115 million conversations that took place over the encrypted messaging platform between no less than 60,000 users.
FBI agents have arrested a Russian man suspected of being part of the Lockbit ransomware gang. The feds allege that, through the devices, they managed to connect the suspect to an email address they say was used to register him on Amazon, Facebook, and Instagram as well as with an online betting program and a cryptocurrency exchange.
An international law enforcement operation codenamed 'SpecTor' has arrested 288 dark web vendors and customers worldwide, with police seizing €50.8 million in cash and cryptocurrency. "The vendors arrested as a result of the police action against Monopoly Market were also active on other illicit marketplaces, further impeding the trade of drugs and illicit goods on the dark web."
The Australian Federal Police has arrested four members of a cybercriminal syndicate that has laundered $1.7 million stolen from at least 15 victims between January 2020 and March 2023. Eventually, two men and two women aged between 26 and 35 were arrested in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Adelaide.
Meet the newest member of the crypto rogues' gallery: Ho Wan Kwok, aka Guo Wengui, aka Miles Guo, whom the US Department of Justice on Wednesday arrested over what investigators have described as a "Sprawling and complex scheme to solicit investments in various entities and programs through false statements and representations to hundreds of thousands of Kwok's online followers." One of Guo's operations was called Himalaya Exchange.
An international law enforcement operation involving the FBI and police agencies worldwide led to the arrest of the suspected administrator of the NetWire remote access trojan and the seizure of the service's web domain and hosting server. Since at least 2014, NetWire has been a tool of choice in various malicious activities, including phishing attacks, BEC campaigns, and to breach corporate networks.
Dutch police announced late last week that they'd arrested three young men, aged between 18 and 21, suspected of cybercrimes involving breaking in, stealing data, and then demanding hush money. Late last year, for example, we wrote about a trick that the Dutch police used for some time against the DEADBOLT ransomware gang, who scramble unpatched QNAP network storage devices over the internet, and demand payment in Bitcoins to decrypt the ruined files.