Feds charge alleged negotiator for Russian ransomware group

The US government has indicted members of a Russian ransomware group known as Karakurt, as previously reported. by Bleeping Computer. in Tuesday’s Press ReleaseThe Department of Justice alleges that Denis Zolotarjovs, 33, of Moscow, Russia, conspired to commit money laundering, wire fraud and extortion.

As outlined in Criminal chargesThe FBI alleges that Karakurt stole sensitive data from multiple companies across the U.S. and threatened to auction it off. The indictment also accuses Zolotarjovs of being the negotiator for the hacking group’s “cold case extortion” schemes, where victims of attacks don’t pay the ransom. Bleeping computer.

breaking news According to a report by the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Karakurt was known to “pressure victims’ employees, business partners and customers to cooperate with them through harassing emails and phone calls,” and also operated a leak and auction website.

Law enforcement in the Eastern European country of Georgia arrested Zolotarjovs in December and extradited him to the U.S. earlier this month. Zolotarjovs is the first Karakurt member to be arrested and extradited to the U.S., according to the Department of Justice.