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A Russian man accused of orchestrating an online marketplace where thousands of stolen login details and compromised accounts were sold has been indicted in Texas.
Igor Dekhtyarchuk, 23, stands accused of operating a cyber-criminal marketplace known as Marketplace A, which since 2018 has supported the sale of more than 48,000 compromised email accounts and more than 39,000 compromised online accounts according to the indictment.
Dekhtyarchuk’s marketplace also sold authentication tools that ‘allowed transnational organized crime and other cyber criminals to unlawfully access the online accounts of victims located around the world’, according to the FBI.
Dekhtyarchuk, who operates under the hacking alias ‘Floraby’, began advertising the sale of compromised account data in Russian-language hacker forums in April 2018 and opened Marketplace A in May 2018, a Department of Justice (DOJ) statement said.
The Russian hacker was indicted on March 16 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, on charges of Wire Fraud, Access Device Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft, and a federal warrant was issued for his arrest last Thursday.
His current whereabouts are unknown, although the wanted poster issued by the FBI said Dekhtyarchuk was previously a student at Ural State University in Yekaterinburg, Russia, and was last known to reside in Kamensk-Uralsky, Sverdlovsk Oblast.
The hacker is now on the FBI’s Cyber Most Wanted List.
Igor Dekhtyarchuk, 23, stands accused of operating a cyber-criminal marketplace known as Marketplace A, which since 2018 supported the sale of more than 48,000 compromised email account and more than 39,000 compromised online accounts, according to his indictment
His current whereabouts are unknown, although the wanted poster issued by the FBI said Dekhtyarchuk was previously a student at Ural State University in Yekaterinburg, Russia, and was last known to reside in Kamensk-Uralsky, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia. The hacker is now on the FBI’s Cyber Most Wanted list
Marketplace A specialized in the sale of unlawfully obtained access devices for compromised online payment platforms, retailers, and credit card accounts.
It also offered extensive personal data associated with the true owners of those accounts, such as names, home addresses, login credentials, and payment card data.
Marketplace A’s business is known as a ‘carding shop’ in the cyber-criminal world, where the credit card information of unwitting victims is listed for criminals to buy.
The site received upwards of 5,000 daily visitors.
According to the DOJ’s statement, Dekhtyarchuk was rumbled when the FBI – through an online covert employee (OCE) – made a series of purchases on Marketplace A from the Eastern District of Texas.
The OCE received the purchased access devices via link or Telegram messenger service shortly after completing each purchase.
The FBI said that Marketplace A operated just like a regular online retail store, with a variety of browsing and purchase options and price points associated with the value of the material on offer.
‘This case exemplifies the need for all of us, right now, to take steps to protect our online identity, our personal data, and our monetary accounts,’ said Eastern District of Texas US Attorney Brit Featherston.
Dekhtyarchuk, who operates under the hacking alias ‘Floraby’, began advertising the sale of compromised account data in Russian-language hacker forums in April 2018 and opened Marketplace A in May 2018, a Department of Justice (DOJ) statement said
If convicted, Dekhtyarckuk faces up to 20 years in federal prison
‘Cyber-criminals are lurking behind the glow of computer screens and are harming Americans. These investigations require dedicated professionals who work tirelessly to stop thieves that steal from unknowing innocent people. To those who dedicate their lives to stopping cyber-criminals, we thank you.’
FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge of the case Jim Smith said: ‘The cyber-criminal marketplace operated by Dekhtyarchuk promoted and facilitated the sale of compromised credentials, personally identifiable information (PII), and other sensitive financial information.
‘Cyber-criminal actors behind these marketplaces go to great length to obfuscate their true identities and often utilize other sophisticated methods to further anonymize their activities. Success in these complex investigations is dependent on teamwork and collaboration between the FBI, our international partners, and our private sector partners.
If convicted, Dekhtyarckuk faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Source: dailymail
