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‘Crime-as-a-Service’ tools sold by 25-year-old Digital Nomad hit more than 300 financial goals –
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“A young man known as Digital Nomad hits over 300 financial targets using crime tools as a service.”
Spanish police have arrested the 25-year-old Brazilian head of “Team GXC,” a well-known global cybercrime organization. The group effectively ran a global “crime-as-a-service” operation that targeted financial institutions and government agencies across more than 300 entities by selling sophisticated, off-the-shelf tools, such as advanced AI-powered phishing kits, to criminals via Telegram and the dark web.
Spain’s Civil Guard led the operation, which represents a victory against the professionalization of digital fraud, which has been using off-the-shelf software provided by groups like Team GXC to grow illegal schemes.
Under the identity of “GoogleXcoder”, the suspect lived a secret life as a “digital nomad”, moving frequently to avoid detection as his malware stole millions from gullible people around the world.
Digital nomads and the international crime market
Police described the arrested leader, who used the name “GoogleXcoder” online, as a developer of crime software as a service (CaaS). The 25-year-old Brazilian, despite his young age, has established himself as a major supplier of credential theft software in Spain and throughout the European Union.
The leader was arrested in San Vicente de la Barquera as a result of an investigation that took a year and included complex tracking and forensic research. Six other people connected to the network were also identified.
authorities
| In order to avoid detection by legal authorities, he and his family lived a secret life as “digital nomads,” often moving between Spanish provinces and using phone lines and credit cards registered under false identities. |
The Arsenal: Bypass tools for Android and AI
The GXC team made a lot of money by developing and renting advanced fraud tools to other criminals. Business Invoice Swapper, an AI-powered toolkit, was their most advanced product.
By using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze hacked emails, detect messages containing invoices, and automatically replace original bank details (IBAN and BIC codes) with those of the perpetrators, this app was created to help with online fraud and business email fraud (BEC).
The weekly rental price of this gadget was $2000 (INR 1.77 lakh). The group also created malicious Android code that mimicked legitimate mobile banking apps. By tricking victims into installing a phony app to “confirm” their one-time password (OTP), thieves were able to intercept two-factor authentication codes and access bank accounts without authorization.
Targeting government identification and banks
With techniques that could target more than 300 entities around the world, the GXC team’s criminal ambition was widespread. Targets included global platforms such as Amazon, Binance, Coinbase and Microsoft Office 365, as well as large financial institutions in the US and Europe (such as Santander, BBVA, Deutsche Bank and AMEX).
The majority of victims are distributed across the United Kingdom and other EU member states. The group’s specialty was identity theft and financial fraud. To steal citizens’ credentials and personal information, they created sophisticated phishing pages that mimicked legitimate government websites, such as the Spanish website GOB.ES and the Australian portal my.gov.au.
Recover and operate stolen funds
Six coordinated raids across Spain were the result of a complex investigation headed by the Cybercrime Section of the Central Operations Unit of the Guardia Civil (UCO). Officers were able to arrest “GoogleXcoder” and confiscate electronic devices containing the source code of phishing groups, corporate communications chats, and personal accounts.
After a year-long forensic and cryptocurrency search, officials were also able to recover the victim’s funds that were stored on other digital platforms, which was a major success for the investigation.
The group’s main Telegram channels have since been shut down, and police are still analyzing the digital evidence they obtained. They stated that additional action, including more arrests, is not entirely ruled out.
About the author
Suraj Kohli Content specialist in technical writing about cybersecurity and information security. He has written many great articles related to cyber security concepts, with the latest trends in cyber awareness and ethical hacking. Find out more about “He”.
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‘Digital Nomad’ 25-Year-Old Sold ‘Crime As A Service’ Tools Hit 300+ Financial Targets
