Tech giant Microsoft says it has taken legal action against the information-stealing malware Lumma Stealer and has blocked thousands of websites related to the software.
Microsoft said in a May 21 blog post that a federal court in Georgia allowed the firm’s digital crimes unit to take down, block or suspend nearly 2,300 websites critical to Lumma’s operations, and it has collaborated with local and international law enforcement agencies to dismantle the project’s infrastructure.
The company said the US Department of Justice seized Lumma’s central command structure and disrupted marketplaces where the tool was sold to other cybercriminals.
Microsoft says that Lumma has been sold via underground forums since 2022 and that it has undergone multiple upgrades since its launch.
Europol’s European Cybercrime Center and Japan’s Cybercrime Control Center also facilitated the suspension of locally based Lumma infrastructure.
Lumma is a malware tool that allows malicious actors to steal everything from passwords, credit card information, bank account details, and crypto wallet information.
Between March 16 and May 16, Microsoft said it identified over 394,000 Windows computers infected by the Lumma malware and worked with law enforcement agencies and cybersecurity firms to sever communications between the tool and the infected devices.
Malicious activity on the rise
Crypto drainers are software designed to steal the contents of crypto wallets and are common on phishing sites, malicious extensions, fake airdrops and more.
Earlier this week, Chinese printer manufacturer Procolored had reportedly distributed Bitcoin-stealing malware alongside its official drivers, resulting in the loss of around $953,000 worth of crypto.
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Last month, an AMLBot report said that crypto drainers are now being sold as a SaaS product, allowing unsophisticated bad actors to rent the service for as little as $100.
A Feb. 7 report from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis said that almost $51 billion worth of crypto was lost in 2024 due to fraudulent activity and that professional crime networks, fraud cartels, nation-state-sponsored hackers and AI-powered scams have taken center stage.
The FBI’s cyber arm reported that Americans lost around $9.3 billion in 2024 through crypto scams and frauds. The most vulnerable age group was above the age of 60.
Meanwhile, North Korean hackers have stolen nearly $3 billion worth of cryptocurrencies between 2017 and 2023, which crypto firm Paradigm said have become more sophisticated over the years.
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