As far as infamous hacker collectives go, Lizard Squad has to be at the top three of most people’s lists. Two men have been charged with being a member of Lizard Squad, and they await trial related to stealing credit card information and fraud. Additionally, they were also involved is forcing customers to perform DDoS attacks against target websites.
Lizard Squad Members Face Serious Charges
It is interesting to note both alleged Lizard Squad members are 19 years old, which goes to how online criminals get younger and younger. Next to their credit card theft and DDoS charges, there is also a charge for conspiring to provide cyberattack-for-hire services in exchange for financial compensation; This particular service is comparable to what vDOS has offered its clientele over the years.
Both alleged Lizard Squad members are also potentially involved in running the PhoneBomber service. This website provided a service where they will call a chosen target with prerecorded messages. The calls would initiate from different phone numbers so blocking the numbers proved to be futile. The service could also be used to fake a bomb threat if the call is placed to a local police department. As a result of this service, several schools had to be evacuated earlier this year, even though no explosives were found. With the service priced at US$20 per month, it was a perfect target for youngsters who wanted to get out of school without skipping classes.
Although neither of these charges have been proven yet, both men will remain detained until their trial. The stolen credit card charge is the worst of the three, which could net both hackers several years in federal prison. The fact that this stolen information was made available for purchase does not help their case either.
Keeping in mind how the Lizard Squad resides on the darknet, it remains to be seen how law enforcement officials managed to identify both users. Apparently, they linked several of their online usernames to a real identity, although specifics regarding this investigative method have not been revealed at this time.
Cybercrime is a serious threat, and more of these arrests will follow in the coming years. Governments and law enforcement agencies are cracking down on this type of activity. Deanonymizing users for VPN services and Tor has become increasingly easy, albeit some questions regarding the legality of these methods will always remain.
Image credit 1
If you liked this article, follow us on Twitter @themerklenews and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest bitcoin, cryptocurrency, and technology news.
