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Largest Ever Online Robbery Hits Swedish Bank

Posted by Zonk on from the put-your-bits-up dept.

ukhackster writes "A Swedish bank has fallen victim to what experts believe is the biggest online robbery ever. A Russian gang apparently used keylogging software to steal around one million dollars. It appears that most of the victims weren't running security protection. The bank is refunding everyone who lost money (even if they hadn't taken precautions) — good news for the victims, but not really an incentive to take more care in future. From the article: 'Nordea believes that 250 customers have been affected by the fraud, after falling victim to phishing emails containing the Trojan. According to McAfee, Swedish police believe Russian organised criminals are behind the attacks. Currently, 121 people are suspected of being involved. The attack started by a tailormade Trojan sent in the name of the bank to some of its clients, according to McAfee. The sender encouraged clients to download a "spam fighting" application.'"

4 of 218 comments (clear)

  1. Crime Doesn't Pay by Zzesers92 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    $1,000,000 divided by 121 people = 8264.46 per person. I'm convinced taking people's money through legitimate avenues is easier than through crime. Zzesers

  2. Re:I am not surprised... by PadRacerExtreme · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So a PhD in medieval literature makes you an expert in computers and email? I am not saying that she shouldn't have known better (the SPAM indicator), but the PhD alone doesn't really matter. Besides some people are always looking for a get rich quick scheme.

    --
    Just remember - if the world didn't suck, we would all fall off.
  3. Victims by Sloppy · · Score: 5, Insightful
    The bank is refunding everyone who lost money (even if they hadn't taken precautions) - good news for the victims

    No, that merely changes who the victims are. There is no such thing as "good news for the victims" unless the stolen money is recovered.

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    As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
  4. The customers didn't lose money. by AxelBoldt · · Score: 4, Insightful
    The bank is refunding everyone who lost money
    That's crap. The customers didn't lose anything. The bank lost money; it was tricked into paying out funds without having been authorized to do so by the funds' owners. The bank neglected the first rule of the banking business: "Know your customer". It did not properly check the identity of the people it was interacting with, and therefore has to eat the full loss.