Ransomware fixer claimed he could decrypt files, allegedly defrauded clients instead
DOJ charged Zohar Pinhasi with wire fraud for allegedly paying ransomware ransoms while billing MonsterCloud clients for decryption.
The US Department of Justice charged Zohar Pinhasi, also known as Zack Silver and Zack Green, with two counts of wire fraud and one count of wire fraud conspiracy. Prosecutors say his Florida firm MonsterCloud told ransomware victims it could recover files with proprietary tools, then used part of the fees to pay attackers and kept the markup. In one alleged case he charged $150,000, paid an $8,200 ransom, and did not disclose the payment. Overall he allegedly collected more than $19 million and paid more than $8 million in ransoms; each count carries up to 20 years, and the FBI is investigating possible co-conspirators.