Vietnamese police, aided by US Homeland Security and ACE, arrested seven people accused of running HiAnime, tied to $12.85M in ad revenue.

Officials from the US Department of Justice seized nearly 400 domains linked to illegal World Cup streams and warned viewers about the risks of malware, phishing, and data theft.

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Two Venezuelan nationals have been sentenced to 78 months in prison for their role in an ATM jackpotting scheme that used malware to force cash machines across the United States to dispense money illegally. The operation, which authorities say was part of a broader transnational criminal network, involved the deployment of Ploutus malware on ATMs and resulted in losses exceeding $1.5 million.

Carlos Javier Padron, 36, was sentenced after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud. His co-defendant, Oddry Arnoldo Cabrera Torrealba, 37, received the same sentence on June 11 after pleading guilty to identical charges.

Ploutus Malware Used to Trigger Unauthorized Cash Withdrawals

According to court documents, Padron and Torrealba were members of a criminal network responsible for carrying out ATM jackpotting attacks across the United States. Their role involved physically installing a variant of Ploutus malware on targeted ATMs.

Once activated, the malware enabled attackers to send commands directly to the ATM's cash dispensing module, allowing unauthorized withdrawals of currency. Investigators said the malware was also designed to erase traces of its presence, making it more difficult for financial institutions to detect the compromise.

The two men were arrested by the Lincoln Police Department during an ATM jackpotting incident in October 2024.

More Than $1.5 Million Ordered in Restitution

Along with their prison sentences, Padron and Torrealba were jointly ordered to pay $1,537,696 in restitution to the affected financial institutions.

Officials said the investigation uncovered a much larger criminal operation following their arrests. Authorities have since indicted 96 additional individuals connected to the conspiracy on charges including bank burglary conspiracy, money laundering, computer fraud, unauthorized access to protected computers, bank fraud, and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Authorities Link Scheme to Tren de Aragua

U.S. officials stated that the investigation established direct and indirect links between several indicted co-conspirators and Tren de Aragua, a transnational criminal organization that originated in Venezuela.

According to investigators, the group has expanded its operations throughout the Western Hemisphere and has been involved in crimes including drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, extortion, commercial sex trafficking, and financial fraud.

Authorities allege that ATM jackpotting became one of the organization's revenue-generating activities, targeting financial institutions across the United States through coordinated cyber-enabled attacks.

Justice Department Says Financial Crimes Fund Organized Crime

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said the defendants helped deploy malware as part of a criminal network that stole millions of dollars from ATMs across the country. He added that disrupting such operations is critical to protecting financial institutions from technology-enabled fraud.

U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods for the District of Nebraska described ATM jackpotting as a significant revenue source used to finance the criminal activities attributed to the organization and said federal prosecutors would continue targeting its financial networks.

The FBI's Omaha Field Office said it continues to adapt its investigative efforts as criminal organizations increasingly rely on cyber-enabled financial crimes. Homeland Security Investigations also stated that the prosecution was intended to protect both consumers and the U.S. financial system from organized criminal activity.

Multi-Agency Investigation Continues

The investigation was led by the FBI Omaha Field Office and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies across the United States.

The case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nebraska, and Joint Task Force Vulcan.

Officials said the case forms part of a broader federal effort targeting transnational criminal organizations involved in cybercrime, financial fraud, and other organized criminal activities. The investigation into the wider network remains ongoing.

A Ukrainian national has pleaded guilty to his role in the Conti ransomware operation, one of the most prolific cybercrime campaigns in recent years. The U.S. Department of Justice announced that Oleksii Oleksiyovych Lytvynenko, 44, admitted to participating in a conspiracy that deployed Conti ransomware against more than 1,000 victims worldwide, resulting in at least $150 million in ransom payments. Lytvynenko entered his guilty plea after being extradited from Ireland to the United States. He pleaded guilty to participating in a wire fraud conspiracy connected to the ransomware scheme that targeted organizations across the United States and dozens of other countries.

Conti Ransomware Targeted Victims Worldwide

According to court documents, the Conti ransomware group carried out attacks between 2020 and 2022, compromising computers and networks in 47 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 31 foreign countries. Investigators allege that members of the operation gained unauthorized access to victim networks, encrypted critical data, and demanded ransom payments in exchange for restoring access. Victims were also threatened with public exposure of stolen information if they refused to pay. The FBI estimates that, by January 2022, the ransomware campaign had generated at least $150 million in ransom proceeds, making Conti one of the most financially damaging ransomware operations ever investigated by U.S. authorities. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said the defendants used the ransomware variant to terrorize businesses and individuals globally, causing extensive financial losses and operational disruption.

Defendant Admitted Role in Malware Development

Court filings show that Lytvynenko joined the conspiracy no later than September 2021. He admitted to possessing stolen data belonging to eight U.S. victims and four international victims whose information had been compromised by members of the group. Authorities also stated that he worked as part of a team directed by another Conti conspirator and assisted in developing a malware "loader." Such tools are commonly used to deploy malicious software and execute additional attacks on compromised systems. The admission provides investigators with further insight into the technical infrastructure behind the Conti ransomware operation and the roles played by individual members within the criminal enterprise.

International Cooperation Led to Arrest and Extradition

The case highlights the growing collaboration between international law enforcement agencies in combating cybercrime. U.S. authorities worked alongside multiple Irish agencies, including the Irish Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, the Office of the Attorney General, and the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau to secure Lytvynenko's arrest and extradition. Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI Cyber Division described the guilty plea as an important step toward holding cybercriminals accountable for the damage caused to victims around the world. The U.S. Secret Service also emphasized that international borders would not prevent authorities from pursuing individuals involved in ransomware operations. Officials said the case demonstrates a continued commitment to identifying and prosecuting every member of organized cybercriminal networks.

Part of Broader Operation Riptide Crackdown

The prosecution forms part of Operation Riptide, an ongoing FBI initiative targeting criminal actors, infrastructure, and financial networks involved in cyber-enabled crime and fraud. According to the Department of Justice, Americans reported more than $20 billion in cybercrime-related losses last year, representing a 26% increase from the previous year. Through Operation Riptide, authorities are focusing on dismantling ransomware groups, fraud operations, and other transnational cybercriminal organizations responsible for significant financial harm. Lytvynenko faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 10, 2026. A federal judge will determine the final sentence after considering federal sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. The investigation was led by the FBI's San Diego, Nashville, and El Paso field offices, alongside the U.S. Secret Service. Prosecutors noted that the case remains part of a broader effort to identify and prosecute additional individuals linked to the Conti ransomware conspiracy.