Cyber Hack Evil Corp: 2. Into the storm
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Oct 27, 2025 Jim Craig, a rookie FBI agent, shares his gripping journey in tackling one of the largest cybercrime investigations involving the infamous Zeus malware. He recalls traveling to Ukraine to collaborate with local law enforcement over vodka in a dacha. Highlights include deciphering Russian chat logs, identifying key players like 'Aqua' and 'Tank,' and even using a pizza order to link a UK mule. With the help of international allies, Jim orchestrates a coordinated raid that could take down the entire operation, showcasing the thrilling intersection of law enforcement and technology.
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Rookie Agent Unearths A Major Cybercase
- Jim Craig's first FBI case began with mundane ACH transfer complaints that snowballed into a major cyber investigation.
- He went from a terrorism desk rookie to leading what became the FBI's largest cybercriminal case at the time.
Phishing Plus Mules Equals Automated Theft
- The fraud began with phishing that installed malware to harvest banking credentials and push fraudulent ACH transactions.
- Malware plus coordinated money mules turned ordinary businesses into automated cash machines for the hackers.
Old Chat Logs Beat Live Monitoring
- A seized Jabber server gave investigators an archive of the hackers' past communications that proved case-breaking.
- Historic chat logs provided names, timings and leads impossible to obtain from live monitoring alone.