Dutch cops collar fella accused of crafting and flogging Office macro nasties to cyber-crooks

A 20-year-old man from the Netherlands accused of building and selling Office macro malware was arrested Wednesday. The Dutch National Police's Office of the Team High Tech Crime (THTC) unit claimed the unnamed bloke, cuffed while on his computer as cops swooped on his home, was responsible for building, selling, and …

[Pascal Monett]

One down, God knows how many to go

Good on all those who participated in bringing that piece of trash down. Demonstrates that it is doable, at least. Here's hoping for more news of this kind.

[MonkeyCee]

Re: One down, God knows how many to go

The Dutch cyber cops are very very VERY good. Many of the busted dark web souks are done by the Dutchies gathering intelligence that they pass to the relevant authorities.

They also recognise cyber cash (and digital goods in general) as having the same legal status as real world goods. If you've not declared it, it's hiding assets. Stealing someone's steam account is the same as if you'd nicked the physical copies.

Gives them a legal route to monitor crypto transactions, among other things.

[Buzzword]

€20,000 in earnings?

Crime doesn't pay like it used to.

[AMBxx]

Meanwhile

Every time I'm forced to write a macro for a customer, I have to give very explicit instructions on how to enable macros or nothing works.

[BebopWeBop]

Re: Meanwhile

So people are learning?

[AMBxx]

Re: Meanwhile

I guess it's all my fault then

[HellDeskJockey]

Some of the messages come with helpful instructions on how to enable macros in them.

[chivo243]

verplicht Nederlandse reactie

wat een lul...? Seriously, using a completely localized version of Word (to your mother tongue) What an amateur... I guess he's learned a few tips for the future?

[Daniel von Asmuth]

Re: verplicht Nederlandse reactie

I can read that..... In Utrecht, a high percentage of people actually speak Dutch (albeit with a funny accent).

[Dvon of Edzore]

There are always two

So they got the Student, but the Master who put the Sith Powers into the macro language remains at large somewhere near Seattle. Just hope we don't have to wait 16 years for the sequel.

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