Italian Hacker Gasperini Extradited for Global Click Fraud

BROOKLYN, NY – Fabio Gasperini, an Italian national, is facing federal charges in Brooklyn after being extradited from the Netherlands to answer for building and deploying a global botnet used to generate fraudulent advertising revenue. The Department of Justice unsealed an indictment today detailing a sophisticated scheme involving hacked servers, malicious software, and a network of compromised computers stretching across the globe.

According to court papers, Gasperini didn’t just hack computers; he built a backdoor into servers owned by companies and individuals, granting him unfettered access to data and computing power. He specifically targeted servers used for large-scale data storage, compromising sensitive information and installing malicious software designed to spread the infection further. This software scanned the internet, seeking out additional vulnerable servers to add to his growing botnet – a silent army of compromised machines operating without the owners’ knowledge.

The operation wasn’t about stealing data, it was about faking clicks. Gasperini’s botnet was used to generate fraudulent “clicks” on online advertisements. Businesses pay advertising companies to drive traffic to their websites, and those companies, in turn, pay website owners based on the number of clicks on the advertisements they host. Gasperini manipulated the system, flooding websites with automated clicks registered as genuine user interactions. This falsely inflated the reported click counts, allowing him to pocket advertising revenue generated from nonexistent customers.

The indictment alleges that Gasperini’s software was cleverly designed to mimic human browsing behavior, disguising compromised servers as legitimate web browsers and simulating clicks on advertisements. He then directed these automated clicks to websites he owned, effectively laundering the fraudulent revenue through his own online properties. This isn’t a case of simple script kiddie hacking; this was a calculated, international scheme to defraud advertising companies and businesses out of legitimate earnings.

“Cybersecurity is a priority and we will pursue those who hack into computers, spread malicious software, and victimize businesses,” stated Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, in a press release. William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the Bureau’s commitment to combating cybercrime. Gasperini was arrested in Amsterdam on June 18, 2016, and arrived in the United States yesterday.

Gasperini is scheduled to be arraigned at 2:00 p.m. today, April 21, 2017, before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo at the U.S. Courthouse, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York. He faces charges of computer intrusion, wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. If convicted, Gasperini could face significant prison time and hefty financial penalties for his role in this elaborate and damaging cyber fraud scheme.