Microsoft says it has tackled the largest provider of fraudulent Outlook accounts. The company has temporarily seized the cyber criminals’ domain with a court order. The order is part of an ongoing lawsuit.
The providers, who operate under the name Storm-1152, are: according to Microsoft responsible for the spread of 750 million fraudulent Microsoft accounts so far. Cybercriminals can use the affected accounts for further fraudulent schemes, including phishing and spam. With this, the criminal organization is said to have generated ‘millions of dollars in illegal turnover’.
According to the tech giant, this concerns the website Hotmailbox.me. This domain is currently owned by Microsoft thanks to a court order from a judge in New York. When someone visits the website, a message from the American company can be seen. The company informs customers that the products sold on the website are not genuine. “For those who make, sell or distribute these products, remember that we are noticing and watching.” The injunction allowed Microsoft to seize not only the sales website, but also Storm-1152’s social media channels and several websites offering captcha bypass software.
It is not known to what extent Microsoft has tracked down the actual perpetrators behind the illegal services; the company says it has tracked down several people involved from Vietnam, but it is not clear whether the ongoing lawsuit will have any consequences for the alleged perpetrators.
Source: Microsoft