COURT DOC: Russian National Sentenced for Operating Websites Devoted to Fraud and Malicious Cyber Activities

A Russian national was sentenced today to nine years in prison for his operation of two websites devoted to the facilitation of payment card fraud, computer hacking, and other crimes before Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III in the Eastern District of Virginia.

According to court documents, Aleksei Burkov, 30, ran a website called ‘Cardplanet’ that sold payment card numbers (e.g., debit and credit card numbers) that had been stolen primarily through computer intrusions, victimizing hundreds of thousands. Many of the card numbers offered for sale belonged to U.S. citizens. The stolen credit card data sold on Burkovs site has resulted in over $20 million in fraudulent purchases made using U.S. credit card accounts.

Burkov also ran another website that served as an invite-only club where elite cybercriminals could advertise stolen goods, such as personal identifying information and malicious software, and criminal services, such as money laundering and hacking services. To obtain membership in Burkovs cybercrime forum, prospective members needed three existing members to ‘vouch’ for their good reputation among cybercriminals and to provide a sum of money, normally $5,000, as insurance. These measures were designed to keep law enforcement from accessing Burkovs cybercrime forum and to ensure that members of the forum honored any deals made while conducting business on the forum. (Source: U.S. Department of Justice)