According to the Ministry of Justice, 27-year-old Yegor Kryuchkov tried to pay $1 million to an employee of a company from Nevada in order to introduce malware into its computer network. When the FBI joined the investigation, the Russian tried to run from the United States
A Federal Court in Los Angeles has arrested a Russian citizen, Yegor Kryuchkov, on charges of conspiring to commit cybercrime. This was reported by the press service of the US Department of Justice.
According to the Department, 27-year-old Kryuchkov in the period from July 15 to August 22 this year tried to bribe an employee of an unnamed American company located in the state of Nevada. The statement claims that the Russian offered him $1 million for participation in the implementation of the fraudulent scheme.
The Ministry of Justice reported that Kryuchkov allegedly planned to load malicious software into the computer system of this company. This would allow him and his associates to gain unhindered access to company data.
Last week, Kryuchkov was contacted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), after which he left Reno (Nevada) and went to Los Angeles in order to leave the United States. The Russian, according to the Department, asked his friend to buy him a plane ticket.
Kryuchkov was detained in Los Angeles on August 22. According to the Ministry of Justice, the Russian entered the United States on a tourist visa.
The Russian Embassy in the United States said that diplomats are aware of Kryuchkov's arrest. "We will contact the Russian in the near future to find out the problem. We will provide him with the necessary consular and legal assistance,” said the diplomatic mission.
In the first six months of 2020, the number of gadgets with Stalker software in Russia increased by 28% compared to the same period in 2019.
"This probably happened because as a result of self-isolation, many people began to spend much more time at home,” said Viktor Chebyshev, an expert on mobile threats at Kaspersky Lab.
He explained that such programs are often installed to spy on their loved ones, allowing them to access the contents of a mobile device, as well as to spy on a person through a smartphone camera in real-time. They are often used by initiators of domestic violence. All Stalker software is not free.
"There have always been jealous spouses and those who just want to look into someone else's life, and the development of IT has given such people additional opportunities," said Andrey Arsentiev, head of Analytics and special projects at InfoWatch Group.
According to Kaspersky Lab, the number of users on whose mobile devices Stalkerware is installed is increasing not only in Russia. In Europe, such programs are most often found in German, Italian and British users.
It is interesting to note that the anti-stalker software coalition was formed in November 2019. It was named Coalition Against Stalkerware. In addition to Kaspersky Lab, it includes 20 organizations. One part of them works in the field of information security, the other helps victims of domestic violence. The coalition is working to raise awareness among people about the threat of stalker software, as well as to counter the crimes that are committed using such programs.