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GameOver Zeus sounds like the latest blockbuster movie.

In fact it’s a new computer bug that steals your cash.

Described as “extremely sophisticated” by the FBI, it infects computers then steals finance and banking info. So far the US Feds say it has swiped around £60million, with 15,000 UK victims and millions more worldwide.

The criminal gang’s servers have been shut down but it won’t be long before they pop up again elsewhere. Our own National Crime Agency say we have two weeks to change passwords and update anti-virus software before the threat is back.

Andy Archibald of the NCA’s Cyber Crime Unit said the bug can even take your family photos and hold them to ransom.

“Making use of this two-week window and stop it from happening,” he warned

Here’s everything you need to know about GameOver Zeus..


Computers become infected with GameOver Zeus and secondary bug Cryptolocker after users open ‘phishing’ emails. These are designed to look as though they come from legitimate sources which then install malicious software – known as malware - onto users’ computers.


A National Crime Agency spokesman says they are “two linked but separate forms of malware working in conjunction with each other.

“When it finds something that will give it a decent return, it transmits that information back to the criminals via the network.

“If it infects a computer that doesn’t hold any information or there isn’t anything to be gained, another bug called Cryptolocker will encrypt the users’ files - that could be photos or business documents - and demand a ransom to return those files to the user.

“Currently the ransom is one bit coin, which is about £300 and so that’s the way it will get money out of people where GOZeus isn’t going to be that effective.”


The FBI has identified Russian Evgeniy Bogachev as the brains behind the bug.

Charges have been brought against the 30-year-old who was last known to live in the Anapa region of Russia.

According to the FBI’s Cyber’s Most Wanted list – which he now tops – Bogachev goes by the usernames “lucky12345” and “slavik” and is “wanted for his alleged involvement in a wide-ranging racketeering enterprise ... used to capture bank account numbers, passwords, personal identification numbers, and other information necessary to log into online banking accounts”.

He has been indicted on several counts relating to 11 offences including bank fraud, computer fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft.

A spokesman for the US Department of Justice said cooperation with Russian authorities had been “productive”.

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The FBI has been investigating ‘online account takeover fraud’ believed to be perpetrated by Bogachev since summer 2009.

Back then, it was the now-infamous Trojan bug they were investigating, believed to have been also created by Bogachev when he was just 24.

By September 2011 the FBI’s cyber unit began looking into a modified version of the Trojan bug, GameOver Zeus, which is now believed to be responsible for more than one million infected computers and “financial losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars”, according to the FBI.



Mac users need not worry – although cyber safety organisations suggest all users keep safe on the computer.

But PC users who use Windows as their operating system, should be on the look-out.

“These forms of malware are designed for windows-based computers,” said the NCA spokesman, “and Microsoft are aware of that.

“If Windows is your operating system, you need to make sure it’s up to date. People might be running earlier versions of software which might be a little bit more vulnerable.”



According to the FBI, signs your computer may have been compromised include: your computer working very slowly, your cursor moving erratically, text-based chat windows appearing on your desktop unexpectedly.

Users should also be on the lookout for unauthorised bank transfers

People in the UK infected with Gameover Zeus are likely to be contacted by their ISP, with letters already being sent out. Even if you don’t receive a letter, you should still act as if your computer is infected and carry out some important maintenance detailed below.


NCA Senior Investigator, Stewart Garrick, said: “Our operation has disrupted the system used by the malware to send communications between infected computers, and to the criminals controlling them.”

He adds: “Our advice is simple: update your operating system and make this a regular occurrence, update your security software and use it, and think twice before clicking on links or attachments in unsolicited emails.”



Get Safe Online, who are working with the NCA, have a comprehensive list of free, specially-designed computer tools that can detect and remove Gameover Zeusand CryptoLocker malware. Go toYou must login or register to view this content..

If you think you have already lost money through these malwares, report it to You must login or register to view this content.or by calling 0300 123 2040.



Scan and clean your computer to protect it, and make sure your anti-virus software is up-to-date, and that your operating system is too.

Don’t click on any links that look a strange or that you were not expecting. Those sorts of links - anything unsolicited - are often things you don’t want on your computer. They can be phishing emails or sometimes an email that just says, ‘Hey look at this’.

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I don't store any bank information online lol, I don't trust the internet that much.

They said, if you dont have any sort of banking information, they lock all your files and take personal things such as family photos and shit and they demand ransom to unlock them (£300/bitcoin)

lol they can suck my cock if they do that, I have porn picture on my computer so they can enjoy all the porn they want and the files I have are backed up on a USB

I thought you were a girl :RTS:

lolwut, what girl's name will be joel

Girl -.- :troll:

Just hope its not of little kids :troll:

I deleted my e-mail account that was getting phishing e-mails, only ever received one other than that which irritated me a little.

Watch_Dogs in real life dun dun dunnn