Two young hackers are being tried in Paris for extortion and money laundering as part of an organized gang. They are suspected of creating a virus that activated the cameras of thousands of computers and threatened internet users with the release of intimate videos unless they paid a ransom. Approximately 20,000 people reported the scam, with 1,300 filing complaints.
Starting on Monday, two young hackers will stand trial in Paris, accused of remotely activating the cameras of thousands of computers using a virus in 2019. They allegedly threatened internet users with the release of intimate videos unless they paid a ransom. Currently 25 years old, these two French computer pirates will appear before the 13th correctional chamber for four half-days on charges of extortion, attempted fraud, fraudulent access and maintenance in an automated data processing system, and organized money laundering.
Described by investigators as having “great skills” in computer science and programming, the hackers developed a malware called Varenyky between January and June 2019, according to elements from the case known to AFP. The malware was contained within an email attachment, inviting recipients to pay a bill. If the victim opened the document, the virus would infiltrate the computer, creating an infected botnet.
Bluff turned into extortion. A message of extortion was then sent to thousands of email addresses, which were either purchased on the dark web or obtained through the virus. The victims were threatened with the release of images of themselves masturbating to pornographic films unless they paid a ransom of approximately 500 euros in bitcoin to a digital wallet. Initially, the blackmail may have been based on bluffing, but the computer program later enabled the activation of webcams to film the users without their knowledge when certain pornographic keywords were detected in the search bar.
The two hackers claimed to have earned 150,000 euros, but investigations revealed 1.3 million euros in bitcoins in their wallet. It is unclear whether all of the money came solely from this fraud. The cryptocurrency was converted into cash, which they used for daily expenses such as rent, hotels, restaurants, cars, and computer equipment, as well as for numerous trips between Ukraine, France, and several Eastern European countries, according to the investigation.
On their computer equipment, files containing personal data of victims and screenshots of videos recorded by their webcams in front of pornographic sites were discovered. During the investigation, which concluded in 2021, the two accused admitted their involvement but downplayed their respective degrees of involvement.
The investigation by the Paris prosecutor’s office was launched in 2019 after many individuals received the extortion email. In June 2019, more than 20,000 people reported the scam to the dedicated email address provided by the investigators, and 1,300 people filed complaints. 47 individuals claimed to have made the payment. Sources close to the case believe that many victims, out of shame, never dared to file a complaint or admit that they had paid.
After several months, investigators from the Central Office for Combating Crime Linked to Information and Communication Technologies (OCLTIC) were able to identify these two young men. Having never been convicted by the justice system, they met during their adolescence on gaming sites and became friends. They had severed ties with their families and allegedly earned a living through internet scams.
The individual known as “Aquazus” on the forums, who holds a Vocational Diploma in Digital Electronic Systems, was arrested at Roissy upon his return from Poland in September 2019. The second hacker, a self-taught individual, voluntarily turned himself in at a police station in Paris two months later, knowing that he was being sought. The lawyers for the two defendants could not be reached or declined to comment before the trial began.
