Brazilian Hacker Charged with Extorting $3.2M in Bitcoin After Hacking 300,000 Accounts
In December 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice revealed charges against Junior Barros De Oliveira, a 29-year-old from Curitiba, Brazil. De Oliveira is accused of hacking a Brazilian subsidiary of a U.S.-based company in March 2020 and stealing sensitive information linked to approximately 300,000 customer accounts.
Over the course of several breaches, De Oliveira allegedly stole confidential data and used it to extort the company. In September 2020, he is said to have contacted the company’s CEO under an alias, demanding 300 bitcoins (equivalent to $3.2 million at the time) in exchange for not selling the stolen information. A month later, he reportedly repeated his demands, addressing both the CEO and another executive of the Brazilian subsidiary.
In a follow-up attempt, De Oliveira allegedly offered a “solution” to the security breach. He proposed a consulting fee of 75 bitcoins (around $800,000) and provided payment details for his Bitcoin wallet.
The indictment charges De Oliveira with multiple counts of extortion and threatening communications. Each extortion count carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the amount of financial gain or loss caused, whichever is greater. The threatening communication charges add up to an additional two years per count.
This case sheds light on the growing dangers of cybercrime and how cryptocurrency is often used in such criminal schemes. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data and prevent breaches.
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