Alleged ZeuS Botmaster Arrested For Stealing $100M From US Banks 76
Trailrunner7 writes "A 24-year-old Algerian man remains in a Thai jail awaiting extradition to the United States, where he is suspected of masterminding more than $100 million in global bank heists using the ZeuS and SpyEye Trojans. Malaysian authorities believe they've apprehended the hacker Hamza Bendelladj, who they say has been jetsetting around the world using millions of dollars stolen online from various banks. He was arrested at a Bangkok airport en route from Malaysia to Egypt. The hacker had developed a considerable reputation as a major operator of ZeuS-powered botnets and bragged about his exploits"
moral of the story (Score:5, Insightful)
Don't spend money like an brain-dead Arkansas lotto winner if you steal millions of dollars from US victims using malware.
Re:moral of the story (Score:5, Funny)
Don't spend money like an brain-dead Arkansas lotto winner if you steal millions of dollars from US victims using malware.
What else can he do with it besides spend it? He can't put it in the bank because banks aren't safe any more.
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Invest it to get more money.
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He could buy some Platinum and start minting coins.
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What? Isn't that Obama, Bernanke, Geithner, and the rest of the Legislative branch of the US government? The thing is, only the little guy gets arrested and punished for theft, but if you're a big hedge fund or banker John Corzine type, you get away with murder.
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What? Isn't that Obama, Bernanke, Geithner, and the rest of the Legislative branch of the US government? The thing is, only the little guy gets arrested and punished for theft, but if you're a big hedge fund or banker John Corzine type, you get away with murder.
I wouldn't call someone "suspected of masterminding more than $100 million in global bank heists" a "little guy".
BTW, none of those guys you mentioned are accused of running botnets, and none of them work in the Legislative branch, so why are you even bringing them up?
Re:moral of the story (Score:5, Insightful)
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To put it into terms you'll understand and appreciate more easily, it's enough to pay your annual wage at the Quik-E Mart for 20,000 years.
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Give me control of a planet's oxygen supply, and I don't care who runs the banks.
better idea.. (Score:5, Interesting)
Why not leave him in Thai jail.
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he pissed off too many wealthy individuals to ever get out of jail now.
Except that is exactly what you have advocated for a long time, though - a judicial system for the wealthy. You call for greater concentration of power for the wealthiest people in this country, and here you are looking at a prime example of it - yet you are unhappy?
You claim that concentrating wealth and power into increasingly fewer hands will somehow deliver freedom. You claim that you want liberty - though what you really aim to bring about is fascism for the people.
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Why not leave him in Thai jail.
because the thai's have nothing on him?
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Your comment adds nothing to this discussion.
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100M is not that much money.
Bragging. Always the same.... (Score:3, Insightful)
These people may have some superior specialized skills, but personality-wise, they are retarded. The same can incidentally be found in a lot of CEOs and high-placed government officials. Seems we promote the scum to the top, and those that cannot get promoted turn to crime instead in order to implement their delusions of grandeur.
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Lower density substances rise above higher density substances. That's why we get the airheads at the top, and the smarties at the bottom.
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I am not surprised in the least.
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Of course. That's why the middle-of-the-road average folks never brag about their fantasy football team, or how their kid did well in the science fair, or how perfectly that prank went off last week... And that failed project wasn't because of the "sick" day when the report was due, but definitely because of the manager's incompetence. Sure.
Everybody takes credit for their achievements, and blames others for their problems. Why should CEOs or criminals be any different?
Loose Lips Sink Ships (Score:5, Insightful)
"The hacker had developed a considerable reputation as a major operator of ZeuS-powered botnets and bragged about his exploits"
Seems if he had just enjoyed the 100M and kept his mouth shut they might not have figured out who he is...
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In related news (Score:2, Interesting)
US banks caught stealing billions from unsuspecting depositors, borrowers, investors, municipal governments, and the US treasury, had investigations of their activity closed out with nobody indicted or arrested.
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A 24-year-old Algerian man remains in a Thai jail (Score:1)
If I had 100 million dollars?
You would not find me.
Old News but some links from local Thai media... (Score:4, Informative)
This story should have run nearly a week ago, he was arrested last Sunday GMT +7.
Here's a story about it from the Bangkok Post that ran on the 7th GMT +7 http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/crimes/329622/police-nab-suspect-wanted-for-hacking [bangkokpost.com]
Here's another from local media in Thailand. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Hacker-held-pending-extradition-30197522.html [nationmultimedia.com]
"The lawsuit states the suspect used the "spy eye" software to steal people's financial information through phony Web pages from 217 computer networks worldwide from December 2009 to September 2011. An arrest warrant was issued in the state of Georgia on December 21, 2011. US authorities later called on Thai police to nab him and also requested that he be detained pending extradition."
In the last couple years it seems that Thailand is trying to displace Canada as America's #1 bitch.
As you can see from the photos he's been all smiles from his arrest at the airport to the obligatory publicity photo op Thai police hold when they occasionally do their job and arrest someone.
Different from finance? (Score:2)
How is using a bot to farm millions any different than what financial companies do?
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How is using a bot to farm millions any different than what financial companies do?
When you pay interest, or management fees, or brokerage fees, you're doing it on purpose. You've shopped around, chosen the institution you want to do business with, made the choice to use their services and to pay what it costs. You really don't understand how that differs from someone who steals money by using compromised user accounts to take money against your will and without your knowledge?
Put the ketchup bottle down, Mr. Abignale... (Score:2)
> "and bragged about his exploits"
Stupid, stupid supervillains.
Got arrested with $100M? (Score:2)
That's worse than getting caught in a police chase on a literbike. With $100M it's possible to make yourself impossible to arrest, worst case scenario you get yourself a nice mansion in the Mexican countryside and hire some ex-military gangsters to run your security.