Tverdokhlebov Alexander

2017

9 years of prison

Alexander Tverdokhlebov arrested at the beginning of 2017 is sentenced to 9 years of prison. The American court found him guilty of serial theft of money from someone else's bank accounts, theft of credit card numbers and other financial information using the malware and also for creation of the botnet containing about 500 thousand infected computers.^[1]

According to investigators, during the period between 2009 and 2013 the hyperactive cybercriminal stole the given about 40 thousand credit cards, being engaged in cybercrimes practically until arrest. The cumulative damage which the hacker caused for the career is estimated at $9.5-25 million.

For direct receiving means the hacker used the cunning scheme including services of "monetary mules". He transferred to "mules" money from the cracked accounts of other people then they bought expensive goods, resold them and sent Tverdokhlebova "commission". Besides, "mules" withdrew the money transferred by the hacker using counterfeit bank cards and, besides, listed Tverdokhlebova his share. Also he convinced two Russian students who visited the USA to open bank accounts for their names which Tverdokhlebov used for washing of the stolen means.

His correspondence helped to convict Tverdokhlebov of ICQ with the certain Vadim Polyakov, cybercriminal who was recognized in 2016 in fraudulent activity against the booking exchange StubHub. Polyakov was engaged in mass buying up of tickets for entertaining actions, using stolen credit cards. He together with accomplices earned about one million dollars from their resale.

The opened correspondence allowed to set a name of Tverdokhlebov and also a complete name of his cohabitant, a home address and phone.

Tverdokhlebov since 2009 lives in the USA; having married the American, he could obtain citizenship. Afterwards pair divorced. Law enforcement agencies found in the safety-deposit boxes belonging to the hacker, considerable quantity of cash - several hundred thousands of dollars. Most likely, he prepared for escape, but was not in time.

Arrest

U.S. authorities arrested the native of Russia Alexander Tverdokhlebov who is suspected of embezzlement from thousands of accounts in the American banks using the malware.

In court documents of Tverdokhlebov call "the active participant of several elite Russian cybercriminal forums having good communications" and the administrator of a botnet from 10 thousand computers which Tverdokhlebov and his expected workmate Vadim Polyakov used for criminal activity. Among other things they were engaged in money muling, resale of stolen personal data and distribution of the malware.

U.S. authorities arrested the native of Russia Alexander Tverdokhlebov who is suspected of embezzlement from thousands of accounts in the American banks using the malware

Charge of fraudulent activity which he performed from 2008 to 2010 is brought to Tverdokhlebov, however, in documents it is specified that most likely Tverdokhlebov was engaged in illegal acts till the latest moment.

Vadim Polyakov was arrested in Spain in 2015 and extradited to the USA. In 2016 he pled guilty of fraud as a result of which the booking service StubHub suffered damage more than one million dollars. The court sentenced Polyakov to 12 years of prison with the right to ask about early release in four years.

Alexander Tverdokhlebov was arrested on February 1 already in the USA. The defendant obtained the American citizenship in 2009 thanks to defects with the American. Spouses divorced soon, and Tverdokhlebov transferred to the ex-wife a large amount of money. Other members of his family live in Russia.

Protection asked court to release Tverdokhlebov on bail, however it was opposed by charge. In court documents it is specified that at a search of the apartment of the suspect keys from safety-deposit boxes in which 172 thousand dollars were stored by 100-dollar notes were detected, and a log of its negotiations on ICQ show that he actively discussed plans of flight in case suddenly will involve special attention from outside of law enforcement agencies. Charge also paid attention to extensive communications of Tverdokhlebov with "several best-known cybercriminals in the world", thereby having convinced court to remand the defendant in custody.^[2]

Cyber crime manages to world economy too expensive, - Dmitry Gvozdev, the CEO of Security reference monitor company comments. - The problem is that to the place of each arrested of "the hacker with good communications" others will come, and will proceed so while the potential victims of cyber attacks are banks, the industrial organizations or individual users, - will not be engaged in ensuring own cybersecurity. It will be only this way possible to make cyber crime less grain case.

See Also

• Hackers
• Cyber crime in the world
• Cyber crime and cyber conflicts: USA
• Cyber crime and cyber conflicts: Europe
• Cyber crime and cyber conflicts: Israel
• Cyber crime and cyber conflicts: China
• Cyber crime and cyber conflicts: Iran

Notes