Thread: Police Arrest Four European Hackers Linked to Global Cyber Ransom Scam

Phuket’s Cyber Crime Investigation Police arrested four European suspects on Monday, February 10th, 2025. The arrests were made following what police say was a sophisticated cyber operation that defrauded over a thousand victims worldwide of an estimated 560 million Baht in cyber ransom payments.


According to the Phuket Express, the suspects, consisting of two men and two women, were apprehended in separate raids at housing estates in Chalong and Wichit. During these operations, police seized over 40 pieces of evidence, including mobile phones and laptops, crucial to their investigation.

The arrested individuals are listed on Interpol’s Red Notice, marking them as wanted for transnational crimes. They face charges in both Switzerland and the United States, where they are accused of “Conspiracy to Commit an Offense Against the United States” and “Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.”

The hackers allegedly employed various methods to infiltrate and threaten companies and individuals, coercing them to pay ransoms. Their activities have affected victims globally, leading to big financial losses.


Phuket Police have not released the names of the suspects due to ongoing investigations but have assured that further details will be provided as the case develops.

Phuket Police Arrest Four European Hackers Linked to Global Cyber Ransom Scam - The Phuket Express

Foreign hackers arrested in Phuket for ransomware attacks after requests from U.S. and Switzerland

The Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau has arrested four foreign hackers accused of using ransomware to extort over 1,000 victims, leading to financial losses exceeding 560 million baht.


Police Lieutenant General Trairong Phiwphan, head of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, led a team of cyber police officers to four locations in Phuket, in collaboration with immigration police and the police from Region 8, to dismantle a global criminal organization. The operation followed requests from the United States and Switzerland for international cooperation to investigate and gather evidence on a group of foreign suspects who were operating as a transnational criminal network.

The suspects used ransomware to attack over 17 companies in Switzerland between April 30, 2023, and October 26, 2024. The hackers accessed the victims’ networks without permission, copied, and stole data from their computers. They then deployed the Phobos ransomware to alter and encrypt the files of the victims. A ransom note was left on the infected computers, demanding payment in cryptocurrency in exchange for a decryption key. If the victims refused to pay, the hackers would follow up with threatening emails or phone calls, warning that they would sell or expose the stolen data.


Additionally, the suspects used a cryptocurrency mixing service to obscure their transactions and hinder efforts to trace the funds on the blockchain.

Foreign hackers arrested in Phuket for ransomware attacks after requests from U.S. and Switzerland - Pattaya Mail