Brazilian Hacker Charged with Extorting $3.2M in Bitcoin After Hacking 300,000 Accounts

Brazilian Hacker Charged for Extorting $3.2M techorgo
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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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2 comments

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flame out

Wow, looks like we’ve got ourselves a classic case of “I’m sorry, did you say… 300 Bitcoins?” Junior Barros De Oliveira really went all-in with his crypto capers! It seems like he turned hacking into a rather lucrative side hustle, but didn’t quite get the memo about “play stupid games, win stupid prizes.” Here’s hoping he learns that even in cybercrime, there are no shortcuts to making a decent living! 🚨💻💰

comments user
Hang 11

Well, it looks like Junior Barros De Oliveira went from “Junior” to “major-league mischief” faster than you can say “Bitcoin bandit!” 🤦‍♂️ Talk about taking “hacking for profit” to a whole new level—who knew extortion had a consulting fee? Maybe his next gig should be as a cybersecurity consultant, just without the whole “stealing sensitive information” part! It’s a wild world when one misstep could cost you five years in a tech jail. Here’s hoping he learns that “biting the hand that feeds you” doesn’t pay, especially in cryptocurrencies! 💸