Dutch Police have arrested three young men suspected of ransomware activity, generating €2.5 million from extorting organisations in multiple countries.
Dutch Police have arrested three young men suspected of ransomware activity, generating €2.5 million from extorting organisations in multiple countries.
Young men aged 18 and 21 were arrested for stealing sensitive information from victims and demanding ransom. And they threatened to leak the data unless the victim paid a ransom. Hackers stole the data online for extra profit, even if the victims paid the ransom.
Depending on the organisation's size, attackers demanded between €100,000 and €700,000. The extortion included threats to disclose the data or take down the business's digital infrastructure.
In March 2021, the investigation started in response to a declaration of data theft and threat to a large Dutch company. "And it became clear that thousands of small and large businesses and institutions, both nationally and internationally, have been targeted by the hacking, theft and selling of data", said Police.
Victims include social media companies, institutions connected to critical infrastructure and services, online shops and software firms.
Hackers have stolen the personal data of millions of individuals, including names, dates of birth, telephone numbers, email addresses, passwords, bank account numbers, credit card details and passport details. This information can be used in social engineering attacks, phishing, and other fraudulent activities.
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