Gang targeting Instagram accounts busted in Ukraine
A gang of cybercriminals who used brute force attacks to hijack other peoples’ Instagram accounts has been busted in Ukraine. The suspects face up to 15 years in prison.
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A gang of cybercriminals who used brute force attacks to hijack other peoples’ Instagram accounts has been busted in Ukraine. The suspects face up to 15 years in prison.
The three members of the organized crime group were tracked down by Ukraine’s cyber police and regional law enforcement authorities in the eastern Kharkiv region in March.
The perpetrators employed the brute method to steal Instagram accounts, which involves using specialized software that generates a large number of passwords to try and guess the right one.
Such attacks can be prevented by enabling two-factor authentication and using a strong password.
According to the police, the criminals then compiled hacked account databases and offered the corresponding login credentials for sale on the dark web.
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A 32-year-old resident of the central Kirovohrad region coordinated the distribution of responsibilities among the gang members, who lived in different regions of Ukraine.
Law enforcement authorities carried out a series of searches in the capital Kyiv, as well as Odesa, Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk, and other localities.
Over 70 pieces of computer equipment, 14 phones, bank cards, and cash, including more than $3,000, were seized during the raids, the police said.
The court ordered the detention of the suspects, who now await trial and face up to 15 years in prison if found guilty on all charges, including unauthorized interference with a communications service, the breach of martial law, and the illegal sale of restricted information.