AUSTIN, Texas — The Federal Bureau of Investigation has unsealed indictment charges against a Ukranian national for his part in an international cybercrime operation known as Raccoon Infostealer. There is the possiblity that it could have affected people worldwide. Mark Sokolovsky, 26, allegedly put malware on millions of computers from 2018 to 2022, extending to parts of Texas, according to the FBI.
Sokolovsky is being detained in the Netherlands under a U.S. extradition request. He faces the following charges: one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and related activity in connection with computers; one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud; one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering; and one count of aggravated identity theft.
“This case highlights the FBI’s unwavering commitment to work closely with our law enforcement and private sector partners around the world to hold cybercriminals accountable for their actions and protect the American people from cybercrime,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr. “This case also serves as a reminder to public and private sector organizations of the importance to report internet crime and cyber threats to law enforcement as soon as possible. Working together is the only way we’re going to stay ahead of rapidly changing cyber threats.”
In court documents, Raccoon Infostealer was used as a malware-as-a-service or “MaaS” to steal personal data through email phishing and other means to infect computers with malware. Victims’ log-in credentials, financial information and other personal records were used to commit financial crimes or sold to others on cybercrime forums.
While the FBI doesn’t have a definite number of affected computers, at least 50 million unique credentials and forms of identification (email addresses, bank accounts, cryptocurrency addresses, credit card numbers, etc.) were recovered. Some were identified in San Antonio, Texas.
“This case highlights the importance of the international cooperation that the Department of Justice and our partners use to dismantle modern cyber threats,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “As reflected in the number of potential victims and global breadth of this attack, cyber threats do not respect borders, which makes international cooperation all the more critical. I urge anyone who thinks they could be a victim to follow the FBI’s guidance on how to report your potential exposure.”
The FBI says to see if you’ve been impacted by the Raccoon Infostealer, input your email address into its data repository on raccoon.ic3.gov. If the email shows up, the FBI will send an email notice to the user. Victims are told to file a complaint and list off any financial harm they may have experienced through FBI’s ic3.gov/Home/FileComplaint portal.