Contactless Theft: Police Detain Software Developer for NFC-Based Thefts

Malicious software turned ATMs into a channel for instant money transfers to someone else's account

MVD officers stopped the activities of a malicious software developer who had been stealing money from Russians for years. The official representative of the department, Irina Volk, announced that a suspect in the creation and maintenance of software that transferred files with images of bank cards controlled by fraudsters to victims' mobile devices has been detained.

The scheme exploited the NFC module of the phone. Under the influence of fraudsters, citizens brought their device to an ATM to allegedly replenish their own account, but the cash deposited instantly went to the accomplices of the scheme.

During the search, computer equipment with malicious files and correspondence with the alleged organizer of the group, located abroad, were seized from the detainee. A criminal case has been initiated under articles on fraud and the creation of malicious programs.

In fact, the attackers turned the standard contactless interface of a smartphone into a tool for intercepting financial transactions. The ATM, receiving a command to replenish a card, instead performed a transfer of funds to a pre-prepared account, and the victim remained confident that the money had been successfully credited.

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