Cyber security companies across the globe helped Interpol bust an unnamed cybercriminal being large-scale BEC scams and phishing campaigns.
Interpol’s Cyber Fusion Center has confirmed arresting an alleged head of a transnational cybercrime gang from Nigeria. Reportedly, the unnamed individual, 37, is suspected to be involved in some of the large-scale phishing campaigns and BEC scams (BEC aka Business Email Compromise) against high-profile companies and individuals.
Operation Delilah
A recently established agency, the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime, carried out this operation, dubbed Operation Delilah, across 4 continents. This unit was formed in May last year with funding from the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office to empower the 49 African countries and unite them in the fight against cybercriminals.
Interpol’s African Joint Operation against Cybercrime joined hands with Nigerian police and law enforcement agencies in the USA, Canada, and Australia to arrest the suspect from Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria Cybersecurity firms Group-IB, Palo Alto Networks, and Trend Micro were also part of the investigation.
Details of the Operation
Nigerian police arrested eleven suspects for their involvement in global BEC campaigns in December 2021. Further probe revealed that all were a part of a cybercrime syndicate identified as SilverTerrier. This gang has been active since 2014 at least and comprises hundreds of cybercriminals involved in BEC campaigns.
The gang had targeted countless companies and users worldwide with fake emails to lure them into sending money into their accounts. The gang’s leader fled from Nigeria in 2021 before authorities could arrest him. However, he was eventually detained in March this year while attempting to enter the country.
According to a blog post from Palo Alto Networks, the arrested individual used his alias to register over 240 domains, out of which 50 were used for malware C&C. The individual shared social media links with most of the suspects arrested in December 2021.
In a press release, Interpol’s assistant director of cybercrime operations, Bernardo Pillot, stated that this case reveals the global nature of cybercrimes and the growing need to “deliver a successful arrest through a global to regional operational approach.”
The head of Nigeria’s Interpol and assistant inspector general of the Nigeria Police Force, Garba Baba Umar, noted that the results of this operation would serve as a warning to other cybercriminals in the world that they cannot escape law enforcement.
“The arrest of this alleged prominent cybercriminal in Nigeria is testament to the perseverance of our international coalition of law enforcement and INTERPOL’s private sector partners in combating cybercrime.”
Garba Baba Umar
