Charges Announced in Con. with Blackshades Malware that Enabled Users to Secretly Control Computers

Charges Announced in Con. with Blackshades Malware that Enabled Users to Secretly Control Computers

NEW YORK, NY - U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara and FBI Special Operations and Cyber Division Special Agent-in-Charge Leo Taddeo announce the unsealing of an indictment charging Alex Yucel, the owner of an organization known as "Blackshades," that since 2010, has sold and distributed to thousands of people in more than 100 countries a sophisticated and pernicious form of malicious software, or "malware," known as the Blackshades Remote Access Tool, or "RAT." The RAT was co-created by Yucel and has been used to infect computers throughout the world to spy on victims through their web cameras, steal files and account information, and log victims' key strokes. Also unsealed were criminal complaints against Brendan Johnston, who was paid by Blackshades to help market and sell malware, including the RAT, and provide technical assistance to its users; Kyle Fedorek, who purchased the RAT and used it to steal online account information from hundreds of victims; and Marlen Rappa, who purchased the RAT and used it to spy on dozens of victims and steal online account information.