The Spanish National Police arrested a Ukrainian national wanted internationally for over 10 years for his involvement in a large-scale scareware operation that took place from 2006 to 2011.
According to officials, the suspect and his co-conspirators used an extensive network of infected computers to distribute scareware, a form of malware that uses social engineering to manipulate victims into downloading or buying malicious or useless software. In this case, the malware was designed to display pop-up warnings about a virus infection.
Users who wanted to clean their machines from the alleged malware infections were offered to buy fake antivirus software for $129.
The operation affected thousands of computers worldwide, causing more than $70 million in losses.
Spanish authorities detained the suspect at Barcelona-El Prat airport upon his arrival in Barcelona. The operation was supported by the FBI and Interpol.
