Google – AFP, 13 February 2013
 |
Europol's
chief Rob Wainwright looks on during a press conference in
The Hague on
February 4, 2013 (ANP/AFP/File, Robin van Lonkhuijsen)
|
MADRID —
Spanish police and Europol have busted a global cybercrime operation that
infected millions of computers with a virus that falsely accused victims of
viewing child pornography and demanded a fine payment, officials said
Wednesday.
Police
detained 11 people as part of the operation, including a 27-year-old Russian
suspected of creating and distributing the virus, Europol director Rob
Wainwright told a news conference in Madrid.
The virus
locked computers in over 30 countries, mostly in Europe, and it demanded
payment of a fine of 100 euros ($135) to return control to its user, he said.
The message
generated by the virus used the logo of the national police force and the
language of the country where the computer was based to accuse the victim of
having viewed child pornography or pirated movies online, he added.
"This
operation is the first major operation of its kind," Wainwright said.
"This
is an example of the evolving nature of cybercrime online, of how cybercrime is
becoming more sophisticated."
The
authorities said the group raised millions of euros with its scam but could not
yet cite a precise amount.
About three
percent of those whose computers were infected by the virus paid the fine that
was demanded.
Europol
said in a statement that it was "the largest and most complex cybercrime
network dedicated to spreading police ransomware."
Police
detained 10 people -- six Russians, two Ukrainians and two Georgians -- last
week on Spain's Costa del Sol as part of the investigation, said Spain's
secretary of state for security, Francisco Martinez.
The
suspected author of the virus was detained while he was on holiday in Dubai in
December, he added. He is currently awaiting extradition to Spain.
Of the 10
suspects detained in Spain, six have been remanded in custody while the
investigation continues and the remaining four were released on bail.
They are
accused of fraud, money laundering, forging documents and membership of an
organised crime group.
The
investigation remains open and further arrests are likely, police said.
The
authorities began their investigation, dubbed "Operation Ransom", in November
2011 after detecting the virus in six European countries.
The network
created 48 different versions of the virus to ensure that it was not detected
by anti-virus software, said Martinez.
So-called
"ransomware" viruses, which try to make victims pay an on-the-spot
fine, are becoming more prevalent but most strains only accuse people of
pirating movies or music. Others scramble data that is only unscrambled when a
fee is paid.
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