According to authorities, Zain Qaiser would pose as a legitimate ad broker to buy online advertising unit from pornographic websites.
A British hacker who worked for a Russian crime syndicate has been sentenced to six years and five months in jail after a National Crime Agency (UK) investigation. Zain Qaiser was found to have received at least £700,000 (US$914,105) from his activities involving blackmail and malware, which began in 2012 and continued through 2018.
According to authorities, Qaiser would pose as a legitimate ad broker to buy online advertising unit from pornographic websites. He would then use the space to post ads that would direct victims to websites hosting malware, including the Angler Exploit Kit (AEK) and Reveton ransomware. Victims would pay blackmail and data ransoms using cryptocurrency that would then be laundered through a complex series of global transactions.
Authorities said Qaiser spent most of the funds he received on stays in high-end hotels, prostitutes, gambling, drugs, and luxury items.
Qaiser admitted to 11 offenses, including blackmail, fraud, money laundering, and computer misuse. He was jailed at Kingston Crown Court.
Read more here.
Join Dark Reading LIVE for two cybersecurity summits at Interop 2019. Learn from the industry's most knowledgeable IT security experts. Check out the Interop agenda here.
About the Author(s)
You May Also Like
Guarding the Cloud: Top 5 Cloud Security Hacks and How You Can Avoid Them
April 4, 2024Cybersecurity Strategies for Small and Med Sized Businesses
April 11, 2024Defending Against Today's Threat Landscape with MDR
April 18, 2024Securing Code in the Age of AI
April 24, 2024
Black Hat USA - August 3-8 - Learn More
August 3, 2024Cybersecurity's Hottest New Technologies: What You Need To Know
March 21, 2024Black Hat Asia - April 16-19 - Learn More
April 16, 2024