US Agencies Seized Around $30M of Crypto Related to NetWalker Ransomware Last Year

2 years ago

U.S. instrumentality enforcement agencies seized astir $30 cardinal worthy of crypto related to NetWalker ransomware successful January 2021, according to blockchain probe steadfast Chainalysis.

  • The seizure is the largest ever related to ransomware, Chainalysis said.

  • Law enforcers seized conscionable nether 720 bitcoins (BTC) and 15.7 monero (XMR), equating to implicit $29.4 cardinal astatine today's prices.

  • NetWalker attackers extorted tens of millions of dollars from businesses and governments successful 2020, burrowing into and encrypting victims' machine networks. It followed a ransomware-as-a-service exemplary whereby idiosyncratic hackers conducted the attacks and past shared the profits with NetWalker.

  • One specified hacker was Sebastien Vachon-Desjardins, who Chainalysis said had netted much than $14 cardinal successful bitcoin since February 2018, worthy $27 cardinal by January 2021. Earlier this period Vachon-Desjardins was jailed for 7 years successful Canada aft pleading blameworthy to a fig of charges including "participating successful the activities of a transgression organization."

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Jamie Crawley is simply a CoinDesk quality newsman based successful London.


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