Facebook, FBI Shut Down $850 Million Botnet Crime Ring

U.S. authorities credits social network in its assistance of one of the largest cybercrime hauls in history.

Facebook helped the FBI shut down an international crime ring that utilized a botnet to infect 11 million computers, consequently stealing more than $850 million.

In what's become one of the largest cybercrime hauls in history, the FBI announced that with the assistance of the social network giant, it has arrested 10 suspected participants.

They used the Yaho's malware and Butterfly botnet methods to steal victims' credit card and bank account details, as well as personal information.

"Facebook's security team provided assistance to law enforcement throughout the investigation by helping to identify the root cause, the perpetrators, and those affected by the malware," the FBI said. "Yahos targeted Facebook users from 2010 to October 2012, and security systems were able to detect affected accounts and provide tools to remove these threats."

The FBI said the arrests were carried out in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, New Zealand, Peru, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Back in October, a woman who ran a huge 'scareware' fraud was charged a total of $163 million by U.S. authorities.

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