The US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a seizure of more than $ 2.8 million in Cryptocurrency from suspected ransomware operator Ianis Alexandrovich Entropenco.
Antropenko, which was inspired for computer fraud and money laundering in Texas, was linked to a now-de-delicate extraction operation, zepelin ransom, a now-a-delivery extraction operation between 2019 and 2022.
Apart from the seizure of digital asset, the authorities also seized $ 70,000 cash and a luxury vehicle.
“Entrophenko used zepeline ranges to target and attack a wide range of individuals, businesses and organizations worldwide, including the United States,” US DOJ reads announcement,
“In particular, Entropenco and their cockenpierator will encrypted and exfiltrate the victim’s data, and usually demand ransom payment to decrypay the victim’s data, avoid publishing it, or to arrange the deletion of data.”
After receiving the ransom payment, Entropenco attempted to rob the volume on the coins tambaling service chipmixer seized by the authorities in March 2023.
Other money laundering methods were used by entropenco, including crypto-to-cash exchange and structured deposits, which means breaking a large amount into small deposits to avoid bank reporting rules.
Zeppelin Ransomware came into existence as a new version of Vegalokar/Bureauran ransomware at the end of 2019, which targets healthcare and IT firms through MSP software defects.
In 2021, after the duration of Damens, the zepeline operators returned with the updated versions, although the encryption scheme used in later attacks indicated the slope.
The zepelin operation was essentially distracted by November 2022. At that time it was revealed that the security researchers of Unit221B had a decrying key to help the victims recover free files from the beginning of 2020.
In January 2024, the news suggested that the Zeppelin Ransomware Code was sold on the Hacking Forum just $ 500.
The prosecution against Entropenko suggests that the evidence can also make ransomware operators unmasken even after years of stopping their cyber criminal activities.
The ransom seizure of $ 2.8 million admitted that US authorities have recently announced, which recently announced US authorities, including a $ 1 million cryptocurrency from blackcit ransomware and seizing $ 2.4 million of bitcoin from the chaos ransomware.
It is important to seize the income of the crime in the fight against ransomware, especially in cases where no arrests are made, as it prevents operators and colleagues from using those funds for reconstruction of infrastructure or recruitment of new members.
The passwords broke in 46% of the atmosphere, almost doubled by 25% last year.
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