“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.”
YNaija.com
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