A British national who was phishing for data has been sentenced for 10 years. Grant West, aged 26, was found guilty of cyber-crime and drug offense. He was found to be guilty of phishing attacks aimed at major brands like Sainsbury’s, Just Eat, Argos, and Ladbrokes. West is said to have been the mastermind behind phishing attacks spanning July to December 2015. Investigations point that he may have collaborated with unknown third party to steal data of the Just Eat customers and use it to facilitate fraud transactions. So far, his modus operandi is identified as sending spam emails to users offering £10 gift voucher in lieu of filling out a survey or a questionnaire.
Grant West went by the hacker name ‘Courvoisier.’ In order to reach a greater base of targets, West made use of Sentry MBA to infiltrate high rated websites like Nectar, AO.com, Coral betting, Groupon, Nectar, Ladbrokes, Asda, and Uber amongst others. Apart from the computer crimes, possession of drugs was yet another charge against him. He was found to be supplying cannabis.
The arrest was carried out after the police finally managed to trace the IP of his girlfriend’s device. All the affected sites were being closely monitored after the first phishing attack. Finally, the police identified West as the culprit behind the attacks. The police then tracked the laptop and found him to be traveling by train from Rhyl to London. West had been using the illicitly obtained information to make money and use stolen credit card details. His expenses mostly revolved around planning holidays, traveling, food, and shopping. Since the evidence was quite strong against him, he had no other option but to plead guilty.
It is speculated that West has made nearly £180,000 through his illegal activities. All the trades mostly happened over the dark web marketplace Alpha Bay. He was also found guilty of selling instructional ‘How To’ books and guides for other fraudsters and hackers. Most of the tools related to Courvoisier were deleted from the digital networks so that unsuspecting users do not stumble upon such traps. As internet users, one needs to be smart and aware about the perils of using the internet and how to protect oneself from such phishing attacks. Therefore, it is important to not just be aware of antivirus software, but it is equally important to purchase one that can offer complete protection from such threats. Norton Antivirus is by far the best antivirus protection to date. With an impressive virus database and real-time monitoring of online activities, you can be sure of using the internet safely and securely. Hence, if you have purchased Norton Antivirus and wish to enjoy the complete benefits, activate your copy now. To activate Norton product key visit Norton setup website. For more information about it, go to www.norton.com/setup. Get the latest copy now and fend off all the cyber attacks.
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