28-year-old Hamza Bendelladj is one of the most notorious hackers on the planet. Refereed to as a new age Robin Hood, this Algerian computer science graduate stole millions of dollars from over 200 banks and donated the money to Palestinian charity organizations. Bendelladj, one of the most wanted cyber criminals in the world, was captured in Thailand in 2013 and later extradited to the US. He now awaits sentencing in the US and might face up to 60 years in prison.
Bendelladj pleaded guilty back in June 2015 on 10 counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiring to commit computer fraud and abuse and 11 counts of computer fraud and abuse. He allegedly stole an estimated $500 million from 214 banks in total. Including the repair costs for damages he caused by hacking computers, the total amount of loss is estimated as $900m.
Bendelladj, also known by his hacking alias BX1, is believed to be one of the main developers of the SpyEye program—a higly sophisticated malicious software used to steal credit card information and online banking login details. The virus affected over 1.4 million computers in the US and abroad. Bendelladj and his associates have reportedly sold the virus and its components to at least 150 clients, charging them anything from $1,000 to $8,500.
When the hacker was arrested in Thailand, he was seen smiling at the cameras and media personnel and hardly seemed affected by the situation.
Following his arrest, rumours of “death sentence given to the hacker” made circles on the Internet. However, the information was false.
