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US prosecutors Tuesday extradited a Romanian man from Colombia to the US over accusations that the man helped distribute the Gozi virus, one of the most financially destructive computer viruses in recent history. Mihai Ionut Paunescu was extradited to the US under a litany of charges including: conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Paunescu who also goes by the nickname “Virus,” is being held in the Southern District of New York where his case will proceed
The Gozi virus impacted over a million computer users in at least eight countries from 2007 through 2012. Those affected included both private individuals as well as businesses and government entities. The virus allegedly traveled through PDF documents which were transmitted via a hosting system designed by Paunescu. Once opened, the virus stole private information including passwords and banking information. Part of the reason the virus was so destructive was because it was virtually undetectable to anti-virus software. As a result, tens of millions of dollars were lost.
Paunescu is originally from Romania and was arrested there in 2012 on related charges. He made bail and avoided extradition to the US. However, in June 2021, Paunescu was arrested by Colombian officials for his role in distributing the Gozi virus. Other than creating the Gozi virus, Paunescu is also accused of distributing malware, transmitting spam and participating in large-scale attacks via hijacked devices. Paunescu appeared in a magisterial court in New York on Tuesday where his case was assigned to US District Judge Lorna Schofield. The US Attorney for the Southern District of New York will lead the prosecution against Paunescu.
