Thai Police Arrest Russian Hackers
Thai police have arrested four Russian hackers living in Phuket City. They allegedly stole $16 million through ransomware attacks which affected over 1,000 victims worldwide. The suspects, wanted by Swiss and US authorities, were caught in coordinated raids across four locations.
The criminals, two men and two women allegedly used the Phobos malware to encrypt information on the networks, blocking the companies from accessing the data unless a ransom was paid and a decryption key was provided by the gang.
Phobos is a type of ransomware that exploits incorrectly configured Remote Desktop Protocols (RDP), which are used by millions of people when remotely connecting to their business networks
Officers from Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, led by Police Lieutenant General Trairong Phiwphan, conducted “Operation PHOBOS AETOR” in Phuket on February 10, arresting four foreign hackers involved in ransomware attacks. Co-ordinated with Immigration Police and Region 8 Police, raided four locations across Phuket. Police seized over 40 pieces of evidence, including mobile phones, laptops, and digital wallets.
The suspects face charges of Conspiracy to Commit an Offence Against the United States and Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.
The arrests originate with an urgent international cooperation request from Swiss authorities and the United States, involving Interpol warrants for the European suspects who had entered Thailand as part of a transnational criminal organisation.
The group deployed Phobos ransomware against 17 Swiss companies between April 30, 2023, and October 26, 2024. Their operation involved unauthorised access to victims’ networks, data theft, and encryption of files.
The hackers demanded crypto-currency payments for decryption keys and threatened to publish stolen data if ransoms weren’t paid. They also used crypto-currency mixing services to obscure transaction trails.
While the suspects are in custody with evidence, their identities remain undisclosed as investigations continue.
Khao Sod English | Wikipedia | Bangkok Post | The Nation | Bleeping Computer | Hack Read
Image: Ideogram
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