A 42-year-old Russian national, Evgenii Ptitsyn has been extradited from South Korea to the United States to face charges related to his alleged role in administering the Phobos ransomware operation.
The Justice Department unfolded a 13-count indictment against Ptitsyn, accusing him of overseeing the sale, distribution, and functioning of the Phobos ransomware strain.
Phobos ransomware, through its affiliates, is alleged to have victimized more than 1,000 public and private entities worldwide, extorting over $16 million in ransom payments.
The targets included a wide range of organizations, such as government agencies, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and critical infrastructure.
The Justice Department noted that Ptitsyn began offering access to Phobos in November 2020 to “affiliates,” allowing them to encrypt victims’ data and demand ransom payments in exchange for decryption keys.
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