Cybercriminals exploited Metropolitan Police emblem in a ransomware extortion scheme
A series of arrests have been made in connection with a ransomware scam that has been causing havoc in Australia. According to Detective Superintendent Brian Hay of the Queensland Police Service, ransomware is believed to be behind an apparent outbreak of the malicious software in the country.
The scam, which has deceived several victims, uses the Metropolitan Police Service's logo to trick victims into paying a £100 ransom. The malware infection freezes the victims' computer and displays a splash screen claiming police monitoring and a demand for payment.
In September, the owner of TDC Refrigeration and Electrical in Alice Springs paid AUS$3,000 (£2,000) after their systems were hacked and data encrypted. Another business owner, Jeremy Spoehr, stated that his computer displayed a warning about invading with child pornography before demanding payment.
Two individuals, a man and a woman in their thirties from Stoke-on-Trent, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, and possession of items for use in fraud. Another man was arrested on a fraud charge.
The arrests demonstrate a determination to combat this type of crime, according to Detective Inspector Jason Tunn. Tunn also reminded all computer users that police do not use such methods to impose or enforce fines. Symantec's advice to victims of ransomware is 'DO NOT PAY THE RANSOM'.
The first examples of ransomware were discovered in 2009, according to Symantec. Since then, the malware has become a growing menace and has earned its operators $680,000 per month from one 'family' of ransomware, as stated by Symantec.
Infected websites are responsible for the ransomware problem, according to detective superintendent Brian Hay. Symantec suggests taking steps to remove the ransomware infection.
The news follows an apparent outbreak of ransomware in Australia. In addition to the incidents mentioned above, a nearby medical centre's data was being held to ransom for AUS$4,000. The owner of an unnamed business in Queensland paid AUS$4,000 (£2,600) for the return of their data.
There are concerns that the Australian Federal Police (AFP) may be involved in the spread of ransomware attacks occurring in Australia. However, this has not been confirmed, and the investigation is ongoing.
The Warwick Daily News reported that another business owner paid a ransom for the return of their data, but it is unclear if this is connected to the recent arrests. David Wood, the medical centre's co-owner, stated that he did not think it had fallen victim to 'ransomware', but hackers had hijacked their server and run encryption software.
The public is urged to be vigilant and take precautions to protect their computers from ransomware attacks. This includes keeping software up to date, using strong and unique passwords, and backing up important data regularly.
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