Ukrainian cyber police have arrested a 36-year-old man in the western city of Netishin on suspicion of selling data on hundreds of millions of victims to Russian buyers.
Police worked with the Svyatoshyn District Public Prosecutor’s Office to track down the individual. The person is said to have been looking for buyers for stolen personal information in Telegram groups and channels that have been closed.
Read more about the Ukrainian cyber police campaign: Ukrainian police have raided a call center for cryptocurrency fraud.
The database police discovered contained information about an estimated 300 million Ukrainian and EU citizens, including passport details, tax IDs, birth certificates, driver’s licenses and bank account data.
Police say the man sold the stolen data for between $500 and $2,000 and was paid in a currency banned in Ukraine.
Not only did the suspect try to sabotage the investigation, but he also attacked a police officer during his arrest. At the premises, officers seized cell phones, dozens of hard drives, SIM cards, computers and server equipment.
He was investigated under Part 2 or Section 361-1 (Making software for illegal use or distribution/sale) and Section 362 (Unauthorized access to computers/networks). In addition, he could be prosecuted under Section 345, Part 2 (Intimidation or Violence of Law Enforcement Officials).
Ukrainian cybercrime remains a powerful force, often taking its toll on European citizens. In November 2022, police raided her five Ukrainian members of an international fraud gang responsible for an estimated $200 million loss.
Just last month, Ukrainian police claimed to have thwarted a prolific phishing gang that claimed to have earned 160 million hryvnia ($4.3 million) from victims across Europe.
But in January, Recorded Future reported that the Russian invasion was having dire consequences for the underground market for stolen cards.
The volume of card-not-present (CNP) records at dark web carding shops in 2022 is reported to have decreased 24% year-on-year to 45.6 million, while card-present records decreased by 62% to 13.8 million. .
They argue that massive mobilization, migration, energy instability, inconsistent internet connections, and degraded server infrastructure are responsible for the sharp decline.
