New Zealand Teen Behind $20-Million Hacking Scheme

Wellington, New Zealand (AHN) - A group of hackers known as the A-Team that wreaked $20 million in damage worldwide has been uncovered by the FBI and New Zealand and Dutch authorities with the arrest of its alleged teenage kingpin called AKILL.

The A-Team is accused of infecting more than one million computers with malicious software and stealing at least $20 million using bank accounts and login details detected by their illegal spyware, The Associated Press said.

Its alleged 18-year-old leader, from Hamilton on New Zealand's North Island, was arrested Wednesday and has yet to be charged but is cooperating with authorities, the Australian Associated Press reported.

Eight people have been indicted, pleaded guilty or convicted since the investigation started in June. Thirteen additional warrants have been served in the U.S. and overseas.

"Sitting in New Zealand, AKILL is alleged to have designed a unique virus that utilized encryption and was undetectable by anti-virus software," New Zealand police said.

Once infected the computers became robots that could be used in unison to overload computer networks. Infected computers can also be used to aid identity theft.