Maksim Yakubets

Maksim Viktorovich Yakubets
Maksim Viktorovich Yakubets
Максим Викторович Якубец
Born	May 20, 1987 (age 37); Polonne, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Ukraine, Soviet Union
Nationality	Soviet (1987–1991); Ukrainian, Russian (1991–present)
Other names	"Aqua," "Aquamo," "Shluhnet," "388888"
Known for	Hacking
Criminal charge	Cybercriminal

Maksim Viktorovich Yakubets (Russian: Максим Викторович Якубец) is a Russian^[1] computer expert and alleged computer hacker. He is alleged to have been a member of the Evil Corp, Jabber Zeus Crew, as well as the alleged leader of the Bugat malware conspiracy.^[2]^[3]^[4] Russian media openly describe Yakubets as a "hacker who stole $100 million", friend of Dmitry Peskov and discussed his lavish lifestyle, including luxury wedding with a daughter of FSB officer Eduard Bendersky and Lamborghini with "ВОР" (Russian for "thief") registration plate.^[5]^[6]^[7] Yakubets's impunity in Russia is perceived as clue of his close ties with FSB, but also criticized by domestic information security experts such as Ilya Sachkov.^[8]

Indictments

On November 13, 2019, Yakubets was charged in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania for allegedly conspiring in the development, maintenance, distribution, and infection of Bugat malware. The following day, he was charged in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska for his alleged involvement in the installation of Zeus.^[9]

References

^ "MAKSIM VIKTOROVICH YAKUBETS". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
^ "USA V. YAKUBETS". November 14, 2019. As more fully described below, DEFENDANT and others (collectively, the "Jabber Zeus Crew") have infected thousands of business computers with malicious software that captures passwords, account numbers, and other information necessary to log into online banking accounts, and have then used the captured information to steal millions of dollars from victims' bank accounts.
^ "Russian National Charged with Decade-Long Series of Hacking and Bank Fraud Offenses Resulting in Tens of Millions in Losses and Second Russian National Charged with Involvement in Deployment of "Bugat" Malware". United States Department of Justice. December 5, 2019. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2020. Yakubets was the leader of the group of conspirators involved with the Bugat malware and botnet, according to the indictment. As the leader, he oversaw and managed the development, maintenance, distribution, and infection of Bugat as well as the financial theft and use of money mules.
^ Ng, Alfred (December 5, 2019). "US puts $5 million bounty on Russian hacking group Evil Corp. leader". CNET. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
^ "Свадьба хакера Максима Якубца и дочери офицера группы ФСБ "Вымпел" за £250 тыс. прошла в гольф-клубе Целеево". Русский Монитор | Russian Monitor (in Russian). 2019-12-11. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
^ "Ручные хакеры, экстравагантные миллионеры Как Evil Corp — самая могущественная хакерская группировка в мире — связана с российскими силовиками. Расследование Лилии Яппаровой". Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-10-13.
^ "Госдеп США: хакер Aqua из России разорил американцев на 70 миллионов долларов". vesti.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-10-13.
^ Seddon, Max (2021-10-13). "Russia sends warning to cyber security sector with arrest of Ilya Sachkov". Financial Times. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
^ "WANTED BY THE FBI: MAKSIM VIKTOROVICH YAKUBETS". December 5, 2019. Specifically, Yakubets was involved in the installation of malicious software known as Zeus, which was disseminated through phishing emails and used to capture victims' online banking credentials. These credentials were then used to steal money from the victims' bank accounts. On August 22, 2012, an individual was charged in a superseding indictment under the moniker "aqua" in the District of Nebraska with conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity, conspiracy to commit computer fraud and identity theft, aggravated identity theft, and multiple counts of bank fraud. On November 14, 2019, a criminal complaint was issued in the District of Nebraska that ties the previously indicted moniker of "aqua" to Yakubets and charges him with conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Yakubets is also allegedly the leader of the Bugat/Cridex/Dridex malware conspiracy wherein he oversaw and managed the development, maintenance, distribution, and infection of the malware. Yakubets allegedly conspired to disseminate the malware through phishing emails, to use the malware to capture online banking credentials, and to use these captured credentials to steal money from the victims' bank accounts. He, subsequently, used the malware to install ransomware on victims' computers. Yakubets was indicted in the Western District of Pennsylvania, on November 13, 2019, and was charged with Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Fraud, Wire Fraud, Bank Fraud, and Intentional Damage to a Computer.

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[1] "MAKSIM VIKTOROVICH YAKUBETS". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 9 November 2021.

[2] "USA V. YAKUBETS". November 14, 2019. As more fully described below, DEFENDANT and others (collectively, the "Jabber Zeus Crew") have infected thousands of business computers with malicious software that captures passwords, account numbers, and other information necessary to log into online banking accounts, and have then used the captured information to steal millions of dollars from victims' bank accounts.

[3] "Russian National Charged with Decade-Long Series of Hacking and Bank Fraud Offenses Resulting in Tens of Millions in Losses and Second Russian National Charged with Involvement in Deployment of "Bugat" Malware". United States Department of Justice. December 5, 2019. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2020. Yakubets was the leader of the group of conspirators involved with the Bugat malware and botnet, according to the indictment. As the leader, he oversaw and managed the development, maintenance, distribution, and infection of Bugat as well as the financial theft and use of money mules.

[4] Ng, Alfred (December 5, 2019). "US puts $5 million bounty on Russian hacking group Evil Corp. leader". CNET. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 29, 2020.

[5] "Свадьба хакера Максима Якубца и дочери офицера группы ФСБ "Вымпел" за £250 тыс. прошла в гольф-клубе Целеево". Русский Монитор | Russian Monitor (in Russian). 2019-12-11. Retrieved 2021-10-13.

[6] "Ручные хакеры, экстравагантные миллионеры Как Evil Corp — самая могущественная хакерская группировка в мире — связана с российскими силовиками. Расследование Лилии Яппаровой". Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-10-13.

[7] "Госдеп США: хакер Aqua из России разорил американцев на 70 миллионов долларов". vesti.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-10-13.

[8] Seddon, Max (2021-10-13). "Russia sends warning to cyber security sector with arrest of Ilya Sachkov". Financial Times. Retrieved 2021-10-13.

[9] "WANTED BY THE FBI: MAKSIM VIKTOROVICH YAKUBETS". December 5, 2019. Specifically, Yakubets was involved in the installation of malicious software known as Zeus, which was disseminated through phishing emails and used to capture victims' online banking credentials. These credentials were then used to steal money from the victims' bank accounts. On August 22, 2012, an individual was charged in a superseding indictment under the moniker "aqua" in the District of Nebraska with conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity, conspiracy to commit computer fraud and identity theft, aggravated identity theft, and multiple counts of bank fraud. On November 14, 2019, a criminal complaint was issued in the District of Nebraska that ties the previously indicted moniker of "aqua" to Yakubets and charges him with conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Yakubets is also allegedly the leader of the Bugat/Cridex/Dridex malware conspiracy wherein he oversaw and managed the development, maintenance, distribution, and infection of the malware. Yakubets allegedly conspired to disseminate the malware through phishing emails, to use the malware to capture online banking credentials, and to use these captured credentials to steal money from the victims' bank accounts. He, subsequently, used the malware to install ransomware on victims' computers. Yakubets was indicted in the Western District of Pennsylvania, on November 13, 2019, and was charged with Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Fraud, Wire Fraud, Bank Fraud, and Intentional Damage to a Computer.

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