Newsroom

July 08, 2014

'Bolware' virus targets Brazil transactions

July 9, 2014 – A security firm announced this week that a fraud ring is using malware to target a popular online payment system in Brazil, and has routed as much as $3.75 billion to its own account over the past two years.

The malware, "Bolware," targets a system called Boleto, which consumers use to pay anything from doctors' bills to their mortgage payments. According to CUInfoSecurity.com, experts do not believe the amount stolen was close to $4 billion in actuality but say the continued success of the "man-in-the-browser attack technique" is disconcerting.

"One lesson from the Bolware attacks is that any payment system – based on payment cards or otherwise – is at risk of being subverted by online attackers," according to the article. The article also explained that Trojan attacks targeting banks have increased in previously less-targeted countries including Australia, Croatia, South Africa and United Arab Emirates.