USA Charges 60 People in Connection With the Zeus Trojan

USA Charges 60 People in Connection With the Zeus Trojan!!!

FROM A
DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW by Monte Friesner

~ Financial Crime Consultant for WANTED SA ~

Monday October 18, 2010 

~ WANTED SA has learned today that U.S. authorities have charged more than 60 people in connection with the money-stealing Zeus Trojan program, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The arrests follow the arrests in the UK that led to 11 people being charged in Eastern Europe thought to be involved in moving stolen funds out of the country and having them laundered in Latin America and the Caribbean Islands.

Zeus has been a major problem for computer users and financial institutions over the past few years. Once installed on the victim's PC, the malware can be used to log into a victim's bank account and transfer funds to another account controlled by the criminals.

The malicious software is sold in black market forums and there are more than a dozen Zeus gangs in operation worldwide. Security experts say that the gangs have netted more than US$200 million since Zeus was discovered in 2006.

The U.S. arrests involve so-called money mules, people who are paid to set up accounts that receive stolen funds and then move the money out of the country, typically via a wire service ;such as, Western Union.

The DOJ has scheduled a press conference in Manhattan on Thursday afternoon to further discuss the arrests.

The facts and opinions stated in this article are those of the author and not those of WANTED SA. WANTED SA does not warrant the accuracy of any facts and opinions stated in this article; does not endorse them, and accepts no responsibility for them.