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Hackers steal €36m from European banks using computer virus

The virus infected both computer and smartphones in order to monitor and manipulate online banking sessions.

HACKERS USING A Trojan computer virus successfully stole an estimated €36 million from more than 30,000 bank customers at multiple banks across Europe according to a report published yesterday.

The report by security vendors Versafe and Check Point Software Technologies found that a group of cyber criminals pocketed around €36 million before the operation was dismantled by the European law enforcement.

The attacks began in Italy and soon after tens of thousands of affected online bank customers were detected in Germany, Spain and Holland.

These customers had no idea they were infected with Trojan viruses, that their online banking sessions were being compromised or that funds were being stolen directly out of their accounts.

The ‘Eurograbber’ attack, as it has been named, employs a new variation of the Zeus-In-The-Mobile Trojan which has only been detected in eurozone countries to date.

It infects both computers and mobile devices of online banking customers and once the virus was installed on both devices, the customer’s online banking sessions were completely monitored and manipulated by the attackers.

The virus used was developed for both the Blackberry and Android platforms in order to facilitate a wide target market.

Victim banks have been notified of the attack and Versafe said they were actively working with law enforcement agencies to halt any current or future attacks.

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33 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Les Rock
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    Dec 6th 2012, 4:06 PM

    I take it Enda has volunteered for us to cover this yes?

    124
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    Mute John Trone
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    Dec 6th 2012, 3:55 PM

    36 Million lost in the Eurograbber attack yesterday. Well we had the Noonangrabber attack on Ireland and it took Billions.

    123
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    Mute Brian Donovan
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    Dec 6th 2012, 3:51 PM

    Was budget 2013 not a virus designed by the government to take money from our bank accounts?

    110
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    Mute Damien Flinter
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    Dec 6th 2012, 5:35 PM

    Just an app, the virus is the IMF loan rollover compounding scam.

    a.k.a. The Freidman Chicago neo-liberal economics as outlined by Naomi Klein in ‘The Shock Doctrine’, and Michel Chossudovsky’s ‘The Globalisation of Poverty, The Impact of IMF and World Bank Reforms’.

    21
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    Mute Seán Ó HÓgáin
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    Dec 7th 2012, 3:17 AM

    These jokes are getting old now.

    3
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    Mute Damien Flinter
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    Dec 7th 2012, 10:07 AM

    And its a large bad joke. On us.

    4
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    Mute Gareth Walker-Ayers
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    Dec 6th 2012, 3:49 PM

    Have you seen my stapler?

    60
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    Mute paul donegan
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    Dec 6th 2012, 6:34 PM

    someone took my red stapler!

    13
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    Mute Joe Soap
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    Dec 6th 2012, 3:57 PM

    Nothing wrong with robbIng from the robbers.

    48
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    Mute Ruairí O'Mahony
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    Dec 6th 2012, 3:59 PM

    Yeah but guess who’ll have to pay it back…

    44
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    Mute David Hearne
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    Dec 6th 2012, 4:08 PM

    They took the money out of ppls bank accounts so they robbing normal ppl not the banks

    50
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    Mute Ruairí O'Mahony
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    Dec 6th 2012, 4:11 PM

    True. I’m guessing the banks will have to refund those affected, though. I suppose like an armed raid, they are insured for this kind of thing.

    30
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    Mute Joe Soap
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    Dec 6th 2012, 4:45 PM

    David. Bank accounts? What are bank accounts?

    10
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    Mute justsaying
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    Dec 6th 2012, 4:23 PM

    ah, that explains the billions going missing from our banks over the past few years… It was a virus!!!

    45
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    Mute Damien Flinter
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    Dec 6th 2012, 5:31 PM

    an FFn virus

    21
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    Mute Sibhs
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    Dec 6th 2012, 5:47 PM

    Wish I could rob a bank. Have to say it’s lack of courage, not morals that would stop me.

    38
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    Mute Dara McGann
    Favourite Dara McGann
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    Dec 6th 2012, 3:50 PM

    I’ll have to try one of those online baking sessions, I’ve heard they’re great…

    34
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    Mute Ireland for Change
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    Dec 6th 2012, 3:56 PM

    Scare mongering to control the Internet.

    27
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    Mute Na Fulacht Fia Moore
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    Dec 6th 2012, 4:19 PM

    I would agree a tax loss for the banks involved & access to the net more closely monitored & groups like anonomous & wikileaks in the doghouse again !!

    9
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    Mute Dave O Dwyer
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    Dec 6th 2012, 9:02 PM

    If you actually researched the methods that were used before commenting, you would realise that it is not bullshit.

    2
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    Mute Marcus Kiely
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    Dec 6th 2012, 3:56 PM

    Fair deuce to them.

    22
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    Mute graham galvin
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    Dec 6th 2012, 4:51 PM

    probably an inside job.

    19
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    Mute Brian D. Brady
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    Dec 6th 2012, 4:00 PM

    Not to worry we will pay it back to them

    17
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    Mute David Harte
    Favourite David Harte
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    Dec 6th 2012, 5:47 PM

    lol cant the bank simply press a few buttons and change the digits back to its original. its just numbers on a screen. Its not like they did a gold hiest lol.
    People still buy this crap ??

    16
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    Mute Stephen Maher
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    Dec 6th 2012, 6:13 PM

    “European banks steal countless billions using spineless politicians”

    14
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    Mute Chris Mcdonnell
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    Dec 6th 2012, 5:55 PM

    Give Enda a call sure he’ll stump up the missing money. He has an endless pit called the Irish family who he talks money from every time the banks need a few euro.

    11
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    Mute mike
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    Dec 6th 2012, 5:55 PM

    If you don’t have valid antivirus software on your smartphone and computer nowadays, your an idiot and deserve to have your bank account emptied.

    9
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    Mute John Tierney
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    Dec 6th 2012, 4:39 PM

    Sure, not problem. The Irish tax payer will cover that loss too. We’re good for it!

    9
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    Mute Maurice O'Connor
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    Dec 6th 2012, 5:34 PM

    Wish I could catch that virus!

    8
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    Mute Red Ed
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    Dec 6th 2012, 6:18 PM

    Fair play to them

    7
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    Mute Culm Carty
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    Dec 6th 2012, 7:48 PM

    Now the banks know how we feel!

    3
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    Mute Cesar Zabala
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    Jan 22nd 2015, 3:08 AM

    “Robbers got robbed”, thieves stealing from thieves, lol. On the subject of virus removal, tips here at: http://fastnezzycomputerrepair.com/orange-county-computer-repair-services-provide-much-more-than-sales-and-service/ – Hackers, computer viruses, malware, etc….i guess it keeps us pc repair guys in business! :)

    1
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    Mute Yasir Mohammed
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    Dec 9th 2012, 4:58 PM

    ha robbers got robbed…

    1
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