Ukraine Busts Pro-Russia Hackers Who Stole 30M Accounts of EU Citizens

Ukraine Security Service (SSU) has confirmed the dismantling of a cyber criminal gang that stole the personal accounts of nearly 30 million individuals in Ukraine and across Europe.

According to SSU, its cyber unit has taken down a gang of cybercriminals responsible for stealing 30 million accounts and offering the data on the dark web for sale. The department stated that the hacking group earned around UAH 14 million ($375,000) from selling these accounts.

During the search operations at the suspects’ residences, police seized several hard-magnetic disks that stored the personal data of the victims. They also seized different computer devices, such as flash drives, SIM cards, and mobile phones.

Ukraine Busts Pro-Russia Hackers Who Stole 30M Accounts of EU Citizens — Seized material

Hack Details

As per initial research into the attack, the hackers breached the user accounts and sold their confidential information, including credentials and sensitive personal data, on a dark web platform via an anonymous account. They used electronic payment systems, including WebMoney, YuMoney, and Qiwi, to receive the payment for the accounts.

These services are banned in Ukraine. Furthermore, the gang of hackers included many suspects from west Ukraine’s largest city. It is unclear how many hackers were arrested and which services were attacked.

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Attack Launched by “Pro-Kremlin Propagandists”

As per the SSU’s press release, the hackers are believed to be linked with pro-Russia propagandists. They primarily targeted Ukrainian citizens and people in Europe to harvest the private information of unsuspecting users. They later sold their data on the illegal platform through numerous payment portals.

The propagandists purchased these accounts to spread chaos and panic in the region through disinformation campaigns and to encourage wide-scale destabilization in Ukraine through fake news.

“Suspects impersonated ordinary people to spread disinformation about the socio-political situation in Ukraine and the EU.”

Ukrainian Security Service