Ukrainian Cybercriminal Sentenced to 5 Years for Raccoon Stealer Malware

Ukrainian national Mark Sokolovsky has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for his pivotal role in operating the Raccoon Stealer, a sophisticated malware-as-a-service (MaaS) cybercrime operation.

According to court documents, Sokolovsky and his conspirators operated the Raccoon Stealer malware, which they leased to other cybercriminals for $200 per month, payable in cryptocurrency. The malware was designed to steal extensive personal data from unsuspecting victims' computers, including login credentials, financial information, and other sensitive personal records.

In March 2022, law enforcement agencies conducted a coordinated international operation that led to Sokolovsky's arrest in the Netherlands. Simultaneously, the FBI and international partners dismantled the digital infrastructure supporting the Raccoon Infostealer, effectively taking the existing version offline.

The malware's capabilities were extensive, compromising more than 52 million user credentials that were subsequently used for various criminal activities, including fraud, identity theft, and ransomware attacks. Subscribers to the malware service received access to an admin panel that allowed them to customize the tool, retrieve stolen data, and create new malware builds.

Sokolovsky, who operated under various online aliases including raccoon-stealer, Photix, and black21jack77777, was extradited to the United States in February 2024. He was indicted on charges of fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft, to which he ultimately pleaded guilty in October.

As part of his plea agreement, Sokolovsky agreed to forfeit $23,975 and pay at least $910,844.61 in restitution. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza emphasized the significance of the case, stating that Sokolovsky was a key player in an international criminal conspiracy that made cybercrime more accessible to even amateur threat actors.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp highlighted the massive scale of the operation, noting the extensive impact on millions of victims worldwide. The agency has since created a dedicated website to help potential victims determine if their information was compromised by the Raccoon Stealer malware.

The case underscores the ongoing challenges in combating international cybercrime, demonstrating the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies across multiple countries to dismantle sophisticated cybercriminal operations. It also serves as a warning to other cybercriminals about the potential consequences of engaging in such malicious activities.

The sentencing marks a significant victory in the ongoing battle against malware-as-a-service operations that threaten individual and organizational cybersecurity on a global scale.

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