Russian authorities say they have detained two young hackers who are alleged to have hijacked Apple devices and digitally held them ransom.
The hackers – aged 17 and 23 – were detained in the course of “operational activities” by the Russian Interior Ministry, Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said. They are both residents of the southern administrative district of Moscow and one has been tried before, it said.
According to Russian media outlet MKRU, the hackers were caught by CCTV when they withdrew victims’ ransom money from an ATM.
MKRU added that the 23-year-old, “Ivan”, was “madly keen on computers and hacking”.
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“The young man never studied or worked and was always looking for easy ways to make money,” MKRU said.
The unnamed 17-year-old was reportedly his accomplice.
When the hackers were detained, their apartments were searched, during which time PCs, SIM cards, phones, and literature on hacking were seized.
