Bitcoin
$64,641.09+5.36%
Ethereum
$3,113.36+4.29%
Binance Coin
$560.52+1.95%
Solana
$144.36+10.98%
XRP
$0.50171485+2.52%
Toncoin
$7.05+17.62%
Dogecoin
$0.15273319+6.32%
Cardano
$0.46363888+5.03%
Shiba Inu
$0.00002279+5.04%
Avalanche
$35.51+4.89%
Wrapped Bitcoin
$64,789.38+7.13%
Tron
$0.10928171-0.57%
PlayIconNav
Crypto Prices CoinDesk 20 Index CoinDesk 20 Index
Consensus 2024Price Increase Extension Ends In
01
DAY
11
HR
00
MIN
12
SEC
Markets

Suspected Members of Bitcoin Extortion Group DD4BC Captured

The EU’s top law enforcement agency has announced a new crackdown on the DDoS attack group DD4BC, which demands ransom in bitcoin.

By Stan Higgins
AccessTimeIconJan 12, 2016 at 8:15 p.m. UTC
Updated Dec 10, 2022 at 3:16 p.m. UTC
police arrest
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

The European Union’s top law enforcement agency has announced a new crackdown on distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack group DD4BC.

Europol said today that one individual had been arrested and another detained as part of an effort called Operation Pleiades. The group, which demands bitcoin payments after threatening DDoS attacks, has been known to target a wide range of Web-based services focused on bitcoin, including mining pools.

Authorities in Bosnia and Hezegovina, Germany, France, Japan, Romania, Switzerland, the UK and the US either supported or directly contributed to the action, according to the agencyhttps://www.europol.europa.eu/newsletter/international-action-against-dd4bc-cybercriminal-group.

Europol said in a statement:

"Operation Pleiades resulted in the arrest of a main target and one more suspect detained. Multiple property searches were carried out and an extensive amount of evidence was seized."

The agency indicated that it had identified "key members of the organised network" located in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The operation comes months after the Swiss government issued a warning about the group following a string of attacks in Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland.

DD4BC has also reportedly targeted mainstream financial services.

Police image via Shutterstock

Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.