The FBI issued three bulletins on Wednesday, warning about The Com, a loosely organized cybercriminal group that conducts cyberattacks to steal funds and access sensitive data, according to The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.
The agency outlined how the group started with mostly English-speaking minors but has since grown to include thousands of people involved in different forms of cybercriminal activity, such as the distribution of child sexual abuse material, ransomware attacks, distributed denial-of-service attacks, swatting, cryptocurrency theft, and SIM Swapping. The motivations behind the criminal activity vary, but often fall within one of the following: financial gain, retaliation, ideology, sexual gratification, and notoriety, the FBI said. According to the FBI, the groups tactics have grown more sophisticated over the past four years, and they often recruit youth to avoid harsh penalties. The Com lures members through gaming platforms, targeting individuals aged 11 to 25. The agency also issued additional bulletins on two subgroups: Hacker Com and In Real Life (IRL) Com. Several Hacker Com members have been connected to ransomware-as-a-service operations and often provide their skills to other cybercriminal groups for profit. The FBI has identified individuals selling government email credentials, creating malware, and using advanced tools to carry out attacks. Open-source information indicates Hacker Com groups are responsible for high-profile attacks and intrusions and have affiliations with ransomware organizations, the FBI added.
The agency outlined how the group started with mostly English-speaking minors but has since grown to include thousands of people involved in different forms of cybercriminal activity, such as the distribution of child sexual abuse material, ransomware attacks, distributed denial-of-service attacks, swatting, cryptocurrency theft, and SIM Swapping. The motivations behind the criminal activity vary, but often fall within one of the following: financial gain, retaliation, ideology, sexual gratification, and notoriety, the FBI said. According to the FBI, the groups tactics have grown more sophisticated over the past four years, and they often recruit youth to avoid harsh penalties. The Com lures members through gaming platforms, targeting individuals aged 11 to 25. The agency also issued additional bulletins on two subgroups: Hacker Com and In Real Life (IRL) Com. Several Hacker Com members have been connected to ransomware-as-a-service operations and often provide their skills to other cybercriminal groups for profit. The FBI has identified individuals selling government email credentials, creating malware, and using advanced tools to carry out attacks. Open-source information indicates Hacker Com groups are responsible for high-profile attacks and intrusions and have affiliations with ransomware organizations, the FBI added.
