Cardiologist Moisés Luis Zagala González, a resident of Ciudad Bolívar, got accused of selling malware used by hackers to carry out ransomware attacks.
A Franco-Venezuelan doctor got labeled by US authorities as the mastermind behind malicious software employed by hackers to extract computer information and extort funds from its owners.
This week, New York prosecutors issued criminal charges against Moisés Luis Zagala González, a 55-year-old cardiologist living in Venezuela. The doctor got accused of allegedly designing ransomware and selling it to cybercriminal organizations. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) reported the allegations in a statement on Monday.
DOJ agents in the report accused Zagala of carrying out malicious cyber activities, which gave organizations in the Middle East the tools to execute massive hacking attacks. All while still being a doctor and attending to his patients. Authorities said that Zagala’s item even served to an Iranian state-sponsored opposing team.
Cybercrime Business Included Bitcoin
Zagala built Thanos, a ransomware tool that lets users generate other ransomware variants. The agents explained that the Venezuelan got accused of selling the malicious items in fiduciary currency and digital assets, including Monero and Bitcoin.
Ransomware is a type of computer attack focused on malicious software that blocks access to data and computer networks until a ransom gets paid. Hackers often extort money from their victims and request payments in digital assets because these can be more difficult to follow than other payment methods.
The doctor also received accusations for being the creator of a malware named “Jigsaw v. 2 “, which followed and subsequently registered the number of times the victims intended to eradicate the malware from their system.
According to the report, the effectiveness of Zagala’s products earned his business a good reputation among cybercriminals. Based on various reviews on online forums, US agents claimed that Zagala’s products could infect a network of approximately 3,000 computers. They also quoted a user who wrote in Russian that he had made “good profits” after a month of using the ransomware tools.
The DOJ highlighted that it relied on confidential informants within the cybercriminal space to start tying knots in the case. They also told that the FBI could detect Zagala after interviewing a relative whose PayPal account served as a conduit to receive illegal funds.
An Unusual Profile
The case against Zagala is curious and unusual due to certain features such as his profession and age because they don’t describe the typical cybercriminal suspect. It also goes against the stereotype of malicious actors based in Eastern Europe and Russia. Zagala reportedly lives in Ciudad Bolívar, located in southeastern Venezuela.
The authorities, who confirmed that Zagala taught himself to program computers, also extended the accusations, highlighting that the doctor had trained other hackers to use his items.
By: Jenson Nuñez
