A Ukrainian man accused of using Conti ransomware for cryptocurrency extortion was extradited to the United States from Ireland yesterday to begin legal proceedings in Tennessee, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Oleksiy Oleksiyovich Litvinenko was arrested and charged in 2023 with conspiracy to infect people’s computers, encrypt their data and demand ransom.
A 43-year-old man and his co-conspirators are accused of extortion. $500,000 worth of cryptocurrencies It came from two victims in Tennessee who shared the third victim’s stolen data online.
Litvinenko’s role allegedly included managing stolen data and helping write ransom notes that were given to Conti’s victims.
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Conti is a ransomware-as-a-service tool created in 2019 by the Russian hacking group Wizard Spider. The FBI alleges that as of January 2022, Conti has extracted $150 million from more than 1,000 victims worldwide.
It also claims that this hacking tool was the most popular for infrastructure attacks in 2021.
Conti was used to disrupt 27 government agencies in Costa Rica in 2022 and demand a $16 million ransom. The group also attacked the Irish health service and demanded $20 million, but He later withdrew that threat..
Litvinenko faces up to five years in prison for conspiracy to commit computer fraud and up to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
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