Dutch cybercrime police have arrested three people involved in a sophisticated cybercrime operation that used ransomware to extort €2.5 million from small and multinational businesses across multiple nations.
Three men, aged 18 to 21, face charges that they hacked victims' networks, stole confidential information and attempted to extort thousands of organizations.
Cyberattacks affect a wide range of companies and institutions, from e-commerce businesses to software providers and social media networks , even those related to essential services and infrastructure.
The malicious hackers demanded high ransoms, ranging from €100,000 to a whopping €700,000, depending on the size of the organization they had infiltrated. The extortion carried potential consequences, such as data exposure or complete destruction of the digital infrastructure, if their demands were not met.
It is unclear whether the hackers also encrypted files during the attacks or simply stole data and threatened to leak it unless the victim paid a ransom.
Dutch police reported that, even when victims paid the ransom demanded by the hackers, the stolen data was still sold online for additional profits.
In March 2021, the cybercrime unit launched an investigation after a report of data theft and threats against a large Dutch company.
As the investigation progressed, it emerged that thousands of organizations—small and large, local and global—were hacked by the three individuals over a period of years. Their data was then stolen and sold on the dark web. A statement from Dutch police confirms this situation.
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It is believed that hackers have made off with personal data belonging to millions of people, which includes names, emails, phone numbers, information and passwords for financial accounts, license plate numbers and passport details.
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This data can be used to carry out phishing and social engineering, as well as many other fraudulent activities.
Information source: bleepingcomputer.com
