US-Israeli Zohar Pinhasi charged with wire fraud over MonsterCloud ransomware scheme
Federal prosecutors in New York charged Zohar Pinhasi, 50, a US-Israeli dual national, with wire fraud. They allege his Florida firm MonsterCloud secretly paid hackers for decryption keys while telling clients it used its own technology.
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The story, neutrally told
Right · 2Zohar Pinhasi, a 50-year-old US-Israeli dual national, was charged with wire fraud in federal court in New York, according to the US Justice Department. The Jerusalem PostRC “charged with wire fraud in a New York court on Wednesday” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ JNSR “Pinhasi was arraigned on Wednesday in federal court in Brooklyn after a grand jury indicted him in September.” Read at JNS ↗ Right · 2Prosecutors allege that Pinhasi owned MonsterCloud, a Florida company that marketed itself as an alternative to paying ransomware demands, claiming to use proprietary tools and advanced decryption techniques to recover victims' data. JNSR “Pinhasi, 50, of Hollywood, Fla., owned MonsterCloud, which marketed itself as an alternative to paying ransomware demands” Read at JNS ↗ The Jerusalem PostRC “"proprietary tools" and "advanced decryption techniques"” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Right · 2They say he instead contacted the attackers behind his clients' cyberattacks, paid them for decryption keys, and billed the clients far more than he paid. The Jerusalem PostRC “contacted the cybercriminals who targeted the clients, paying them for the decryption keys” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ JNSR “paid cybercriminals for decryption keys and passed the cost on to clients at a steep markup” Read at JNS ↗
Right · 2In one 2023 case, Pinhasi allegedly charged a client about $150,000 and paid a cybercriminal about $8,200 for the key. Overall, prosecutors allege he collected more than $19 million in fees and paid more than $8 million to hackers. The Jerusalem PostRC “charged a client approximately $150,000 for MonsterCloud's services and used only $8,200” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ JNSR “he charged clients more than $19 million while paying more than $8 million in ransom payments” Read at JNS ↗ Right · 1The Jerusalem Post reports that MonsterCloud's website carried testimonials, some from paid spokespersons, and that in 2019 a paid spokesperson asked whether the company really used proprietary software. Pinhasi allegedly replied that MonsterCloud "doesn't hold any Proprietary technology [to] decrypt the ransomware data." The Jerusalem PostRC “MonsterCloud's website included “testimonials,” some of which came from paid spokespersons.”“MonsterCloud doesn't hold any Proprietary technology [to] decrypt the ransomware data.” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Right · 2He is also alleged to have used the names "Zack Silver" and "Zach Green" (JNS spells the second "Zack Green"). The Jerusalem PostRC “also known as “Zack Silver” or “Zach Green,”” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ JNSR “also used the names “Zack Silver” and “Zack Green,”” Read at JNS ↗
Right · 1Joseph Nocella Jr., US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said that by falsely claiming to decrypt ransomware without paying the ransomers, Pinhasi "re-victimized his clients while extracting a hefty profit for himself." JNSR “"By falsely claiming to decrypt ransomware without paying off the ransomers, the defendant re-victimized his clients while extracting a hefty profit for himself,"” Read at JNS ↗ Right · 2The Jerusalem Post says the charges are two counts of wire fraud and one of wire fraud conspiracy, each carrying a maximum of 20 years in prison; JNS says only that he faces wire fraud charges with a 20-year maximum. The allegations have not been tested in court. The Jerusalem PostRC “two counts of wire fraud and one count of wire fraud conspiracy he was charged with, Pinhasi faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count.” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ JNSR “He faces wire fraud charges that carry a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted.” Read at JNS ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right2 outlets
- Framing
- Both Israeli right-leaning outlets report the case as a straightforward fraud prosecution of an Israeli-American, leading on the allegation that he paid hackers while claiming to decrypt data himself.
- Emphasis
- The markup between what was paid to hackers and what clients were charged, with dollar figures. JNS adds the US attorney's quote and the Florida location; the Jerusalem Post adds the paid testimonials and the 2019 exchange.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither reports a defence response or plea. JNS omits the count breakdown and the testimonials.
- Charged language
- “re-victimized”“hefty profit”
- For example
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“Pinhasi allegedly had no special technology and instead contacted the cybercriminals who targeted the clients” — The Jerusalem Post
“re-victimized his clients while extracting a hefty profit for himself” — JNS
What every side reports
- Pinhasi, 50, is a US-Israeli national charged with wire fraud over MonsterCloud.
- Prosecutors allege he paid hackers for decryption keys while claiming proprietary decryption technology.
- In one 2023 case he allegedly charged about $150,000 and paid about $8,200.
- Prosecutors allege over $19 million in fees and over $8 million paid to hackers.
- The maximum penalty is 20 years in prison.
Where accounts differ
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When the alleged scheme began
- Right
- The Jerusalem Post says it started in 2023, though it also cites a 2019 exchange in which Pinhasi allegedly admitted MonsterCloud had no proprietary technology. JNS gives no start date.
Zohar Pinhasi person
Pinhasi is the defendant. The coverage carries no statement from him or his lawyers; the account rests on prosecutors' allegations.
“Prosecutors allege that Pinhasi, who also used the names “Zack Silver” and “Zack Green,” instead paid cybercriminals” — JNS
“Pinhasi allegedly had no special technology” — The Jerusalem Post
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right2 articles
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US-Israeli national charged with wire fraud after using cybersecurity company to pay off hackers
Neutral Detailed account based on the DOJ, covering the charges, testimonials, the 2019 exchange and the money figures.
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JNSR ·
US-Israeli owner of Florida ransomware company charged with defrauding clients
Neutral Shorter report that leads on the markup and quotes the US attorney, with the Florida angle.
- 8 Oct 10:02 First The Jerusalem PostRC US-Israeli national charged with wire fraud after using cybersecurity company to pay off hackers
- 8 Oct 19:19 +9h 17m JNSR US-Israeli owner of Florida ransomware company charged with defrauding clients
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.