INTERPOL has announced the arrest of a key
suspect in a highly organized criminal organization that has for the past year
been targeting financial institutions and mobile banking services with malware,
phishing campaigns, and large-scale business email compromise (BEC) scams.
Known as OPERA1ER, with aliases such as NX$M$,
DESKTOP Group, and Common Raven, the group is believed to have stolen an
estimated USD 11 million – potentially as much as 30 million in more than 30
attacks across 15 countries in Africa, Asian and Latin America.
According to INTERPOL in a statement, the group’s
illicit e-mail campaigns were first detected by Group-IB in 2018, when they recognized
spear phishing operations responsible for spreading malware such as remote
access tools.
“Under the auspices of Operation Nervone,
INTERPOL’s Cybercime Directorate, Group-IB and third party stakeholder Orange
exchange of intelligence which helped track the group’s behaviours and identify
a probable location for their activities,” the statement said.
“Additional information was provided by the
United States Secret Service’s Criminal Investigative Division and Booz Allen
Hamilton DarkLabs cybersecurity researchers, confirming a number of leads,” it
added.
INTERPOL’s Assistant Director of Cybercrime
Operations, Bernardo Pillot noted in the statement that Operation Nervone is a testament
to what we can achieve through international collaboration and intelligence
sharing. This successful operation marks a significant step in our ongoing
mission to dismantle organized cybercrime networks, showcasing the power of
collective action in stemming the tide against cybercrime.
INTERPOL in its 2022 African Cyber threat
Assessment Report, disclosed that cybercrime is a growing threat in the West
Africa region, with victims located worldwide. Operation NERVONE underscores
INTERPOL's commitment to proactively combat the threat of cybercrime in the
region.
Operation Nervone was backed by two key INTERPOL initiatives: the
African Joint Operation against Cybercrime and the INTERPOL Support Programme
for the African Union in relation to AFRIPOL, funded by the United Kingdom’s
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Germany’s Federal Foreign
Office, respectively.
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
