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The United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia have announced sanctions against 16 people authorities accused of being part of the most wanted cybercrime gang in the world. The Moscow-based cybercrime group, Evil Corp, is accused of extorting at least $300 million from global victims, including those in healthcare, critical national infrastructure, government, and other sectors.
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has stated that the alleged leader of the gang is Maksim Yakubets, who was supported by his father, Viktor Yakubets. They have been indicted and sanctioned, along with several other members, including one of the group’s administrators, Igor Turashev, in the US.
Further Evil Corp cyber criminals exposed following NCA investigation, one unmasked as LockBit affiliate, as UK, US and Australia unveil sanctions.
Read the full story ➡️ https://t.co/MVHye4QU2T pic.twitter.com/VcXP2PquyU
— National Crime Agency (NCA) (@NCA_UK) October 1, 2024
The information was released as part of a large multinational operation aimed at disrupting Evil Corp and another notorious hacking group, LockBit.
Evil Corp officially formed as a “Mafia style” crime group a decade ago. The NCA states that they were responsible for the development and distribution of BitPaymer and Dridex, which they used to target banks and financial institutions in over 40 countries, stealing over $100 million.
In 2019, Maksim Yakubets and Igor Turashev were sanctioned and had a $5 million bounty for his arrest by the US Department of Justice.
Other Russian individuals, including Yakubets’ brother Artem, were also named as part of the US sanctions and designations.
The UK also sanctioned Yakubets’ father-in-law, Eduard Benderskiy, a former high-ranking FSB official, and others who were key to enabling Evil Corp’s criminal activity.
Evil Corp links to LockBit
The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced that Russian national Aleksandr Viktorovich Ryzhenkov, Yakubets’ right-hand man, was added to its list of specially designated nationals. He is accused of using BitPaymer ransomware to target victims across the country.
The designation blocks property and interests in any property the designee may have in the United States and prohibits US financial institutions from engaging in certain transactions and activities with the designated individual.
Yakubets reportedly worked closely with Ryzhenkov to develop some of the group’s most prolific ransomware strains. NCA investigators, analyzing data obtained from the group’s own systems as part of Operation Cronos, found that he had been involved in LockBit ransomware attacks against numerous organizations. ReadWrite reported on one such ransomware attack last November when it targeted Boeing.
Russian National Indicted for Series of Ransomware Attacks https://t.co/GZsjWaJ4e7 pic.twitter.com/mC2KyLqCI7
— FBI (@FBI) October 1, 2024
James Babbage, NCA Director General for Threats, stated: “The action announced today has taken place in conjunction with extensive and complex investigations by the NCA into two of the most harmful cybercrime groups of all time.”
UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, added: “Today’s sanctions send a clear message to the Kremlin that we will not tolerate Russian cyber-attacks – whether from the state itself or from its cyber-criminal ecosystem.”
While FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate said: “Today’s indictment delivers a clear message to those who engage in cyber-criminal activity – you will face severe consequences for your illicit activities and will be held accountable under the law.”
Featured image: Ideogram
