Bitcoins worth $28 million were confiscated from former Canadian civil servant

During the search, the officers found and seized 719 bitcoins and $790 000 in Canadian currency

12.03.2022 - 07:45

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What’s new? A former Canadian government employee has been extradited to the United States on charges of organizing cyber attacks using ransomware, the US Department of Justice has announced. Bitcoins worth $28 million were seized during the search of the civil servant.

Information on the US Department of Justice’s website

How did events develop? The Department of Justice reported that from April to December 2020, former Canadian government IT specialist Sebastien Vachon-Desjardins conspired to damage a protected computer and collect a ransom. A protected computer is a computer used by the US government or a financial institution. In January 2021, the Department of Justice launched a coordinated international law enforcement action to disrupt the Netwalker ransomware group’s activities.

Canadian law enforcement authorities arrested Vachon-Desjardins in Quebec on January 27, 2021, at the request of US authorities. During the search, the officers found and seized 719 bitcoins, valued at $28,1 million at the exchange rate on March 12, and $790 000 in Canadian currency.

What are ransomware? Ransomware is malware that can lock up a computer and then demand a ransom for restoring its operation. The attackers prefer to collect the ransom in cryptocurrency, as its movement is more difficult to trace.

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