The US Department seized 719 Bitcoins
US Department of Justice Seized 719 Bitcoins Its owner is a 35-year-old Canadian who was involved in ransomware attacks with Netwalker.
Confiscation
A man named Sebastien Vachon-Desjardins had to hand over nearly $22 million to the ministry.
He was among those who left the NetWalker ransomware on computers around the world, from businesses and emergency services to colleges and universities. In particular, during the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare systems have come under attack.
An assistant attorney general in the Justice Department’s criminal division says the Canadian has mainly targeted wealthy individuals and corporations. He took advantage of “the chaos he caused by encrypting and stealing data from his victims.”
After an investigation, the Department of Justice seized $742,840 in Canadian dollars and 719 BTC. At the time of the seizure, the cryptocurrency was still worth $21.8 million, but today its value has dropped to $14.4 million.
Kidnapping
Authorities want the man extradited to the United States and sentenced to 20 years in prison. The Attorney General wants to set a precedent with this high sentence.
“This conviction reminds the American people that the FBI is committed to fighting cyber threats. Our cyber task forces are committed to exposing and bringing to justice the cyber attackers who prey on American citizens.
In recent weeks, there have been rumors of ransomware attacks using Bitcoin as ransom. Last week it emerged that a Brazilian bank offered 50 bitcoins to hackers who used Lockbit software to encrypt personal data.
Recently, two groups, Conti and Revill, have been exposed. They are the largest hacker groups that hold computers hostage for ransom.
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