October 9th 2015
A cybercriminal who used malicious computer software to spy on people through their webcams has been added to the sex offenders register for seven years and has been given a 40 week suspended sentence.
33 year-old Stefan Rigo of Leeds was arrested in November 2014 as part of an international operation targeting users of software designed to remotely take over, control and steal information from computers.
Rigo, pictured here, used his ex-girlfriend’s details to pay for and download the Blackshades malware, a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) tool which gives the user complete control over target computers, wherever they are in the world. The software can turn victims’ webcams on and off, access banking or other personal information, download new and potentially illegal content, and instruct unknowing victims’ computers to help commit criminal acts such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
A forensic examination of Rigo’s computer equipment found a series of images that involved people engaged in sexual acts over Skype or in front of their computers. Under interview, Rigo admitted using functions of Blackshades that enabled him to control others’ webcams and monitor their desktops, enabling him to obtain passwords and email content.
"Addicted"
On 16 September 2015, Rigo was found guilty of voyeurism offences at Leeds Magistrates Court. During his trial he admitted to being addicted to monitoring people via their computers, spending between five and 12 hours a day doing so over a three year period. He also pleaded guilty to offences under the Computer Misuse Act. This week, he was sentenced to a 40-week suspended sentence, seven years on the sex offenders register, 200 hours of unpaid work and the forfeiture of all his computer equipment.
Angela McKenna, senior investigating officer for the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit, said:
“People using malicious tools like Blackshades can massively violate the privacy of their victims, and use compromised computers to facilitate further crime. Users of these tools are continuing to find that despite having no physical contact or interaction with their victims, they can still be identified, tracked down and brought to justice by the NCA and its partners.”
To help reduce the risk to individuals and businesses from malicious RAT use, the NCA continues to urge everybody to avoid clicking on unknown links, or files sent from unidentified or suspicious sources.
Anyone who thinks they may have been a victim of online crime should report it to Action Fraud, at www.actionfraud.police.uk
