In what is said to be the most powerful security and judicial strike ever in a cybercrime file, Egyptian prosecutors have decided to refer five defendants to criminal trial for their involvement in establishing and managing an organized international gang that specialized in launching digital phishing platforms that targeted accounts associated with Microsoft and major financial institutions around the world in exchange for collecting huge profits in cryptocurrencies.
The investigation revealed that the defendants established and managed two electronic platforms called ONNX Store and Caffeine that engaged in selling so-called “piracy-as-a-service,” while providing customers with off-the-shelf tools to carry out large-scale phishing attacks that specifically targeted Microsoft Office 365 systems.
A technical investigation revealed that the defendants created approximately 240 fraudulent websites aimed at hunting data and digital accounts, causing huge financial losses to victims in Egypt and abroad, as well as disrupting information networks and reducing operational efficiency.
In a notable development, the Mansoura Economic Court found the defendants guilty and sentenced them to two to three years in prison, as well as fines of more than £1.5 million, confiscated electronic devices and virtual currency, and referred them to trial in a money laundering case related to their criminal activities.
In their investigation, prosecutors relied on open source information and federal court records to uncover a lawsuit filed against the lead defendant in the U.S. state of Virginia, leading to the unraveling of the mystery of his pseudonymous digital identity known as MRxC0DER.
A technical report issued by Egypt’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority in collaboration with Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Division confirmed that one of the platforms controlled by the suspect was classified as one of the five most dangerous phishing platforms in the world.
In one of the most complex cybercrime cases Egypt has ever witnessed, Egyptian law enforcement authorities have successfully traced the digital fingerprints of a suspect and linked his role to financial support activities, technical operations, and control of electronic wallets used to disguise and conceal evidence and proceeds of crime.
