Microsoft Uncovers Moroccan Cybercriminals Exploiting Gift Card Scams

An armed cybercriminal group working out of Morocco has been targeting major retailers for creating fake gift cards, infiltrating their systems to steal millions of dollars by using them as a source of revenue, according to a new report by Microsoft. It’s not just any old gift card scam that’s trying to get shoppers to buy fake gift cards. Its goal is to compromise the internal systems of large retailers, luxury brands, and fast-food chains to steal money. This group is dubbed “Atlas Lion” or “Storm-0539.” 

Researchers at Microsoft have tracked the Moroccan group Storm-0539 since 2021, known as Atlas Lion, which specializes in the theft of gift cards. It has been estimated that this cybercriminal group has been active for more than a decade. They create fake charity websites to fool cloud companies into giving them access to their online computers free of charge. To avoid detection, they then trick employees at big US stores into giving them access to their gift card systems to steal gift cards without exceeding the limit. 

Once inside, they use their techniques to steal gift cards. Unlike most cybercriminals who launch a single attack and move on, Storm-0539 establishes a persistent presence within a compromised system, allowing them to repeatedly generate and cash out fraudulent gift cards. This tactic makes them especially dangerous, with Microsoft reporting a troubling 30% increase in their activity leading up to the Memorial Day holiday compared to the previous two months

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