Ukrainian security officers in the Cherkasy region busted an international hacker group which stole money from the users of electronic payment systems in Europe and the United States.
“Intelligence operatives established that the machinations had been organized by a Russian citizen based in Kyiv and three residents of the Cherkasy region. Using special secret hacker forums, the cybercriminals bought foreigners’ payment account data. The misappropriated funds were then used to purchase goods in popular foreign online shops for subsequent distribution in Ukraine online,” the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) said in a statement on Nov. 29.
The hackers operated since 2010, with an annual turnover of $500,000-700,000. The officers who searched their homes seized personal computers and detected goods purchased illegally including smart watches, iPads, Iphones, GoPro video cameras, satnavs, dashboard cameras, echo sounders, and so on, worth in total more than $5,000.
The suspects will shortly be indicted under part two of Article 361 and part two of Article 209 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code.
The preliminary investigation continues.
