A member of the Karakurt extortion group is charged by the US with money laundering, wire fraud and extortion.
FBI investigators revealed that 33-year-old Deniss Zolotarjovs was a member of the Russian group Karakurt and participated in attacks that compromised company systems, stole data and ended up demanding ransom from victims under the threat of leaking the stolen data online or to other cybercriminals.
The 33-year-old is a Latvian national who lived in Russia. He was arrested in Georgia in December 2023 and extradited to the US earlier this month.
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) did not explicitly name the gang Zolotarjovs belonged to. However, court documents show Zolotarjovs’ connection to Karakurt, where he operated under the alias “Sforza_cesarini.”
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The FBI has linked Zolotarjovs to at least six cases of extortion that affected American organizations between August 2021 and November 2023. In one of these attacks, a victim company paid Karakurt a ransom of more than $1.3 million. Another victim negotiated and paid $250,000 to avoid having their data leaked
Investigators noted that Zolotarjovs played the role of negotiator in the Karakurt operation, when communication stopped without a ransom being paid.
Experts identified Zolotarjovs through cryptocurrency tracing and analysis of communications and data obtained from search warrants on Rocket.Chat. They were able to link him to extortion and money laundering activities.
Karakurt Group
The Karakurt gang has been active since mid-2021, focusing on data theft and extortion without using encryption in its attacks. From September to November 2021, the group had posted 40 victims on the data leak website.
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In June 2022, US authorities warned Karakurt victims not to pay ransom, as they could not trust the hackers. The following month, Karakurt released a search tool on its leak website to make it easier to find specific stolen data, strengthening the extortion process and increasing the pressure on victims.
It is worth noting that Zolotarjovs is the first member of Karakurt to be arrested and extradited to the U.S. This arrest is very important because it may help investigators uncover more evidence about the group and potentially make more arrests.
See also: UK arrests suspected Scattered Spider hacker
As authorities continue to investigate the Karakurt group, they are focused on dismantling the broader network of criminal activities that serve as a base for such operations . The FBI, along with international law enforcement agencies, is interested in tracking the financial transactions associated with the group’s ransom payments, which often involve cryptocurrencies that complicate detection efforts. This case highlights the changing dynamics in cybercrime, where rapidly evolving tactics require cooperation between nations and enhanced cybersecurity for businesses. In addition, the prosecution of Zolotarjovs may serve as a deterrent to other cybercriminals by highlighting the potential legal consequences for engaging in such illegal activities.
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Source: www.bleepingcomputer.com
