The Spanish National Police have successfully captured a Ukrainian national wanted for his role in a scareware operation that took place from 2006 to 2011. The scheme infected hundreds of thousands of computers with malicious software, using pop-up messages to deceive users into believing their devices were infected by malware.
Unsuspecting victims were coerced into paying $129 for a fake antivirus program, leading to consumer losses exceeding $70 million worldwide.
Spanish authorities arrested the suspect at Barcelona-El Prat airport on June 11th after learning about his planned flight to Barcelona. The operation was a joint effort involving investigators from the General Information Police Station, the Provincial Information Brigades of Tenerife and Barcelona, and the El Prat Airport Police Station. The FBI and INTERPOL also supported the international operation.
The arrest was possible due to an Interpol Red Notice issued by the United States, showcasing the collaboration of law enforcement agencies in bringing cybercriminals to justice. The suspect had managed to evade capture by US authorities for over a decade before finally being apprehended. After the arrest, the suspect was formally placed under custody by the Central Investigating Court number Six of the Spanish National Court.
This recent arrest adds to the efforts by Spanish authorities to combat cybercrime. In May, they dismantled a large-scale phishing operation linked to a criminal organization, leading to the arrest of 40 individuals suspected of various computer scams, identity theft, bank scams, and money laundering.
Furthermore, Ukrainian authorities arrested a 36-year-old Ukrainian man who was selling the private data of over 300 million Ukrainian and European Union citizens to Russian entities, demonstrating the ongoing global fight against cyber threats and data breaches.
