Interpol: ‘Genius’ Indonesian teen created tool used by international cybercrime syndicate
By Ryan General
A major cybercrime operation spanning multiple countries relied on a sophisticated phishing tool designed by an Indonesian “genius” when he was 17.
International crime: Riswanda Noor Saputra, now 23, was taken into custody in 2021 following an extensive international investigation involving law enforcement agencies from Japan, Indonesia and Interpol. The collaborative effort uncovered a large-scale cybercrime scheme based in Osaka, Japan, which used Saputra’s phishing tool called “16Shop,” reported The Asahi Shimbun.
Phishing prodigy: Saputra, who was already known for his development skills back in his hometown, quickly rose to popularity in the tech scene following the notoriety of his controversial tool. Authorities have even expressed astonishment at Saputra’s technical prowess at a young age, with experts and legal analysts calling him a tech “genius.”
How the tool works: Stolen credit card data that scammers obtained through phishing attacks were funneled through the 16Shop tool.
The tool was also used by a 40-year-old suspect named Der Kalisna who made illegal purchases and sent them to a man in Kanagawa as well as Indonesian students studying in Japan. After selling the illegally obtained products, the contacts would send the earnings back to Der. Der was arrested on July 9.
In-demand tool: According to the Indonesian police, about 15 million yen (approximately $103,500) was illegally taken from Japanese credit cards in the past couple of years. Saputra’s tool was sold to 70,000 individuals across 43 nations via a platform that has already been successfully shut down.
Where he is now: After being found guilty of falsifying electronic information in 2022, Saputra was given a 30-month prison sentence and fined 500 million rupiah (approximately $32,778). Since being granted freedom via a parole in April, he has been living on the island of Borneo.
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