UK police have allegedly arrested a 22-year-old man, Vinnie Omari, who happens to be a member of the Lizard Squad. This group claimed responsibility for the December 25th attack on Microsoft and Sony’s gaming networks, Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, which left both services inaccessible. Lizard Squad initiated the December 25th attack through denial-of-service (DDos). DDoS attacks typically overpower networks with too much traffic, causing the networks to overload and shutdown. The attacks on Xbox Live and Playstation networks left millions of gamers unable to login and play online. Omari confirmed the arrest through an email to The Daily Dot, saying:
They took everything. Xbox One, phones, laptops, computer USBs, etc.
A press release dated December 31st from the Thames Valley Police states that Omari was arrested “on suspicion of fraud by false representation and Computer Misuse Act offense.” No official comment by either the Thames Valley Police or the Reading Magistrate Court, who issued the warrant, are available for comment at this time.
According to The Daily Dot, another alleged Lizard Squad member that goes by the alias, “dragon,” said that the Lizard Squad’s December 25th attack on Xbox Live and Playstation Network are simply a marketing scheme for Lizard Stresser, a service that the group offers that allows paying customers to launch DDos attacks against whoever they want. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is also investigating another alleged member of the Lizard Squad in Finland with the alias, “ryan,” or “ryanc,” in connection with the December 25th attack on Xbox Live and the Playstation Network. There has been no official comment from the FBI on their investigation at this time.
Stay tuned for more information as this story develops.
