Audio Transcript

Mollie Halpern: Two Iranian men are wanted for their alleged roles in the creation and deployment of a sophisticated malicious software that caused more than $30 million in losses to more than 200 victim hospitals, schools, and other entities.

The FBI and its law enforcement partners say Faramarz Shahi Savandi and Mohammad Shah Mansouri hacked into their victims’ computers and installed SamSam ransomware, which left data encrypted and business operations weakened.  

The men demanded ransoms paid in Bitcoin in exchange for decryption keys.

FBI Executive Assistant Director Amy Hess …

Amy Hess: The criminals believed they were masking their identities on the dark web; however, this case shows that anonymizers may not make you as anonymous as you think you are. They used Bitcoin to try to avoid detection, but this case shows that digital currency can be traceable.

Halpern: The fugitives conducted their 34-month scheme from inside Iran.

Hess: Regardless of where a criminal resides, we will pursue. We will make traveling, business relations, and networking painful for those who commit these acts. We will stay on the case, and we will catch them when they slip up.

Halpern: Report cybercrime to your local FBI field office and online at ic3.gov. With Wanted by the FBI, I’m Mollie Halpern of the Bureau.