{"id":6691,"date":"2024-12-19T09:23:57","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T15:23:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=82944"},"modified":"2024-12-19T09:23:57","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T15:23:57","slug":"ukrainian-sentenced-to-five-years-in-jail-for-work-on-raccoon-stealer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2024\/12\/19\/ukrainian-sentenced-to-five-years-in-jail-for-work-on-raccoon-stealer\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukrainian sentenced to five years in jail for work on Raccoon Stealer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><head> <meta charset=\"UTF-8\"> <meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width, initial-scale=1\"> <meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-image-preview:large, max-snippet:-1, max-video-preview:-1\"> <!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.7 (Yoast SEO v21.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ --> <title>Ukrainian sentenced to five years in jail for work on Raccoon Stealer | 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<html readability=\"25.052460892789\"><body readability=\"51\"><\/p>\n<p>Ukrainian national Mark Sokolovsky was sentenced Wednesday to five years in federal prison for his role in operating Raccoon Infostealer malware, which infiltrated millions of computers worldwide to steal personal data.<\/p>\n<p>According to court documents, Sokolovsky, 28, was integral to operations that allowed the leasing of Raccoon Infostealer for $200 per month, payable via cryptocurrency. Users predominantly deployed this malware through phishing schemes to extract data from unsuspecting victims. The stolen data included log-in credentials, financial information, and other personal records, often used for financial crimes or sold on cybercrime forums.<\/p>\n<p>Raccoon Infostealer, a potent tool in the cybercriminal arsenal, was dismantled by international law enforcement, alongside Sokolovsky\u2019s arrest, in March 2022. In October 2022, a grand jury indicted Sokolovsky \u2014 also known as \u201cPhotix,\u201d \u201craccoonstealer,\u201d and \u201cblack21jack77777\u201d \u2014&nbsp; for charges including conspiracy to commit fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft. He was extradited from the Netherlands to the U.S. in February.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"424\" height=\"705\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ukrainian-sentenced-to-five-years-in-jail-for-work-on-raccoon-stealer.png?resize=424%2C705&#038;ssl=1\" alt class=\"wp-image-69951\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ukrainian-sentenced-to-five-years-in-jail-for-work-on-raccoon-stealer-1.png 424w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ukrainian-sentenced-to-five-years-in-jail-for-work-on-raccoon-stealer-1.png?resize=180,300 180w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ukrainian-sentenced-to-five-years-in-jail-for-work-on-raccoon-stealer-1.png?resize=361,600 361w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ukrainian-sentenced-to-five-years-in-jail-for-work-on-raccoon-stealer-1.png?resize=101,168 101w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ukrainian-sentenced-to-five-years-in-jail-for-work-on-raccoon-stealer-1.png?resize=203,337 203w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ukrainian-sentenced-to-five-years-in-jail-for-work-on-raccoon-stealer-1.png?resize=406,675 406w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 424px) 100vw, 424px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mark Sokolovsky was sentenced Wednesday to five years in federal prison. (Department of Justice)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In a plea deal reached in October, Sokolovsky agreed to forfeit $23,975 and pay restitution of at least $910,844.61. His actions were linked to compromising over 52 million user credentials, which facilitated fraud, identity theft, and ransomware attacks affecting victims worldwide.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas described Sokolovsky as a pivotal figure in an international conspiracy that enabled amateurs to commit significant cybercrimes. &nbsp;He praised the teamwork of international law enforcement in capturing Sokolovsky and promised to keep working hard to fight cybercrime.<\/p>\n<p>The Raccoon Infostealer had reportedly claimed to cease operations in March 2022 following the death of a developer in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, reports suggested a resurgence of the malware by June 2022.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\" readability=\"4.125678119349\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"14\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ukrainian-sentenced-to-five-years-in-jail-for-work-on-raccoon-stealer-1.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Greg Otto\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Greg Otto<\/h4>\n<p> Greg Otto is Editor-in-Chief of CyberScoop, overseeing all editorial content for the website. Greg has led cybersecurity coverage that has won various awards, including accolades from the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Society of Business Publication Editors. 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