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South Korea extradites Russian citizen to US

The individual is accused of using ransomware to encrypt data belonging to multiple US companies

SEOUL, November 19. /TASS/. South Korean authorities handed over a Russian citizen to the United States on November 1 on charges of cyber extortion targeting American companies, South Korea’s Ministry of Justice reported.

According to the ministry, the Russian national was apprehended at Incheon International Airport on May 15 after a court order and a request from US officials. The individual is accused of using ransomware to encrypt data belonging to multiple US companies. US authorities claim the suspect received $16 million in bitcoin in exchange for decrypting the compromised data.

In addition to the Russian national, South Korea recently extradited a Vietnamese national to the US on charges of financial fraud. A South Korean court authorized the extradition of both individuals in September.

The US Department of Justice identified the Russian citizen as 42-year-old Yevgeny Ptitsyn, who appeared in a Maryland court on November 4. Ptitsyn is accused of distributing and selling the Phobos ransomware since at least November 2020. According to US authorities, the ransomware infected over 1,000 organizations worldwide, including major corporations, educational institutions, hospitals, nonprofits, and a federally recognized Native American tribe.

US prosecutors allege Ptitsyn and other members of the operation developed the ransomware and allowed other cybercriminals to access it, enabling them to hack victims' computers, steal or encrypt their data, and demand ransom payments. The stolen funds were then shared with "Phobos administrators like Ptitsyn," who allegedly collected commissions in exchange for providing decryption keys. The group also ran a darknet site to sell the ransomware.

Ptitsyn faces 13 criminal charges, and if convicted, he could face several decades in prison.

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