The 41‑year‑old Microsoft engineer, Raymond Uadiale, is accused of involvement in a series of ransomware attacks that yielded about $130,000 from victims who agreed to pay for the decryption key.
Raymond Uadiale allegedly collaborated with hacker K!NG to infect hundreds of systems with the Reveton ransomware.
K!NG used GreenDot MoneyPak prepaid cards to collect the ransom, and victims had to enter the code into the ransomware that had infected their computers. The hacker then transferred the funds from his victims to prepaid debit cards, which Uadiale obtained using the name Mike Roland.
Reveton ransomware used the logos of the FBI and NSA to inform victims that their computers were locked due to suspicions of downloading and distributing illegal content. The use of logos from various government agencies deceived the hackers' victims, convincing many to pay the ransom.
Out of the $130,000, Uadiale received 30% while K!NG received the remaining 70%.
According to information, Microsoft knows the case and is investigating it. On the other hand, Uadiale's lawyer reports that everything happened for a very short period of time and his client is now «extremely responsible and cooperative».
The Microsoft employee faces federal charges of money laundering and conspiracy. He claims he is innocent and is currently released free (with bail) by paying a fee of $100,000.
