Three Hackers Caught After Stealing Millions From Banks In U.S. and Across Globe

Things are getting scary out there in cyberspace. Recently the feds announced that they caught three hackers who are being charged with using  ”one of the most financially destructive computer viruses in history.” This virus was stealing millions of dollars from banks around the world. The virus affected 40,000 computers in the United States, and at least one million others across the globe. This was not a light affair. Serious agencies, like NASA, were compromised by what is now known as the “Gozi” virus.

“The hackers disguised the virus, dubbed “Gozi,” by making it look like an innocent PDF document, authorities said. But when victims opened it, the file secretly installed malicious software on their computers and began siphoning their bank account numbers, usernames and passwords. The hackers used that data to transfer funds out of the victims’ accounts, resulting in the theft of “tens of millions of dollars,” authorities said.

The scheme began in 2005 when Kuzmin, who is Russian, hired a programmer to write code for the virus. He began selling the code to other hackers for $50,000, plus a cut of the profits, on underground Internet forums, authorities said.

He was arrested in 2010, pleaded guilty and began cooperating with authorities. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of up to 95 years in prison.

Calovskis, a programmer from Latvia, allegedly helped created the virus, which deceived online banking customers by tricking them into revealing additional information, such as their Social Security number, mother’s maiden name, driver’s license, ATM number and date of birth. He was arrested last month in Latvia and awaits extradition. He faces up to 67 years in prison if convicted.”

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