The State Security Service (SSS) of Azerbaijan has exposed a cybercriminal network that was preparing false appeals on behalf of government and public figures, Trend reports with reference to the State Security Service of Azerbaijan. Thus, the Main Investigation Department of the State Security Service opened a criminal case under articles 272.2.1, 272.2.2 (Wrongful acquisition of computer information by an organized group), 273-2 (Falsification of computer data) and 178.3.1 (Fraud by an organized group) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the facts of cybercriminal production of fake video messages on behalf of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, other government and public figures using artificial intelligence programs – “deepfake” technologies, as well as the appropriation of citizens’ money by distributing fake announcements of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) on various social networks, “ Kapital Bank”, “International Bank of Azerbaijan” with promises of a large amount of profit.
It was established that in numerous false advertisements presented to users of the Azerbaijani segment of the Internet with links to sites created by cybercriminals, citizens were invited to invest funds in various investment projects, an image was created of a regular significant increase in the transferred funds, under the guise of transferring the promised investment income to the bank cards of the victims , as well as through cybercrimes, the card data of the latter were obtained and the funds stored on these cards were appropriated.
Members of an international cybercriminal group, who misappropriated large amounts of money from citizens of Azerbaijan and other countries through similar criminal actions, were brought to criminal responsibility by local law enforcement agencies in Ukraine. Citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Zohrabov Rafig Mahir oglu (born in 1998) and Niftaliev Sardar Alikhan oglu (born in 1979), who participated in the commission of criminal actions of a transnational organized group, were brought to criminal liability in Azerbaijan, and a preventive measure in the form of imprisonment was chosen against them by a court decision into custody
Investigations and criminal procedural actions arising from international legal cooperation are currently ongoing in the criminal case,” the State Security Service of Azerbaijan said in a statement.
It should be noted that earlier in a joint statement of the State Service for Special Communications and Information Security and the Media Development Agency of Azerbaijan, it was noted that fake appeals prepared and distributed on behalf of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan using “deepfake” technologies in order to confuse the audience on electronic information resources, are an example of cybercrime, which is seen as a new type of threat in the world.
