The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has arrested five members of the international hacking group “Phoenix” specializing in remote hacking of mobile devices.
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The SSU statement says that all five suspects live in Kiev or Kharkiv and are graduates of higher technical schools.
The goal of the “Phoenix” group was to gain remote access to mobile device users’ accounts and then monetize them by stealing their online payment or banking accounts or selling their personal information to third parties.
To steal mobile accounts of mobile device users, hackers used phishing sites that were clones of Apple and Samsung login portals.
This activity continued for at least two years, during which Phoenix hacked the accounts of several hundred people.
The hackers also offered remote cell phone hacking services to others, charging between $100 and $200.
Finally, the team also unlocks stolen or lost Apple-made devices linked to the original purchaser by locking them to the first account created on the device.
The police conducted five searches at each point of arrest, seizing computer equipment, mobile phones, specialized software and hardware.
While conducting searches at homes and counterfeit phone shops, officers found several devices that appeared to have been stolen and were being prepared for resale as new in the Kiev area.
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The threat actors now face charges under Article 361 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine for unlawful interference with the work of computers, computer systems and networks.
While the five arrested are likely all members of the "Phoenix" group, authorities will continue investigations to potentially identify more conspirators.
Ukraine is actively combating cybercrime activity originating from its country, with recent arrests of ransomware, money laundering, and threat actors behind DDoS.
Information source: bleepingcomputer.com
