Ukrainian law enforcement has arrested suspected cybercriminals accused of stealing from some of the country’s “leading industrial enterprises.”
According to a cyber police report on Wednesday, the suspects infected employees’ computers with malicious software to gain remote access to their financial systems and changed their banking details to accounts controlled by the hackers.
The suspects allegedly managed to steal nearly six million Ukrainian hryvnia (about $145,000). The report doesn’t mention which enterprises were attacked.
The police said two members of the criminal gang “could not reach an agreement” on how to distribute the stolen funds and kidnapped their third accomplice to force him to transfer his share of the “earnings.”
Police located the vehicle used by the suspects and detained them while they were on the go. Among the evidence found in the car were the suspects’ wallets, mobile phones, and a blanket covered with red stains that looked like blood.
If found guilty, the alleged cybercriminals could face up to 12 years in prison on charges of kidnapping and extortion. The investigation is still ongoing and additional charges may be brought against the suspects.
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Daryna Antoniuk
is a reporter for Recorded Future News based in Ukraine. She writes about cybersecurity startups, cyberattacks in Eastern Europe and the state of the cyberwar between Ukraine and Russia. She previously was a tech reporter for Forbes Ukraine. Her work has also been published at Sifted, The Kyiv Independent and The Kyiv Post.
