DoppelPaymer Gang Members busted

Two members of the DoppelPaymer ransomware gang have been detained by police in a joint action between law enforcement agencies in Germany, Ukraine, Denmark, and the United States.

This sting activity which took place at the end of February but were announced earlier this week. German officers raided the house of a suspect, while Police are hopeful that devices seized during the bust will lead to further information about the gang.

DoppelPaymer ransomware gang has targeted more than 600 companies worldwide including 37 companies in Germany. The US has reportedly paid out at least $40m to the gang. One high-profile case was an attack on the University Hospital Dusseldorf, an attack that saw a patient die after they were diverted to a hospital further away during an emergency.

The DoppelPaymer was at its most dangerous during 2019-2021. Its main targets were healthcare, emergency services and education, according to an FBI warning at the time. The gang is believed to be a successor to BitPaymer, a gang believed to have had links to the notorious Evil Corp. Since then DoppelPaymer has rebranded as Grief.

These arrests are the latest in a recent string of victories on the part of law enforcement across the globe. In January, ransomware gang Hive had its online infrastructure taken out in a coordinated effort between the FBI, Europol and 13 other countries.