Law enforcers reported that last month a 40-year-old Ukrainian citizen Vyacheslav Igorevich Penchukov, also known online under the nickname Tank, was arrested in Geneva. He is considered one of the leaders of the JabberZeus hack group , which was behind the creation of the widely known Zeus banking trojan.
One of the first to arrest Penchukov, who has been on the FBI's most wanted list for more than 10 years, was reported by information security journalist Brian Krebs, citing his own sources. Now, the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police has confirmed the information about the arrest, which took place in Geneva on October 23, 2022, where Penchukov arrived to meet his wife.
It is known that Tank is currently awaiting extradition to the United States, although he can still appeal against the decision of the authorities. US authorities accuse the detainee, among other things, of extortion, bank fraud and identity theft.
Let me remind you that for the first time the US Department of Justice filed charges against Penchukov back in 2012, accusing him of conspiracy to steal millions of dollars using bank account numbers, passwords, personal identification numbers and other confidential information stolen using the aforementioned Zeus malware.
According to Bleeping Computer, Penchukov was also involved in the ransomware Maze and Egregor. Last year, journalists wrote that he was among the suspects arrested in January 2021 by the Ukrainian police (as part of an international operation against Egregor operators).
However, as Brian Krebs writes, “Tank” managed to avoid prosecution for many years thanks to its extensive connections, in particular, friendship with the now deceased son of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Viktor Yanukovych Jr., who was the godfather of Penchukov’s daughter.
As one of the leaders of the JabberZeus group, Penchukov managed stolen bank details and money mules that transferred money from victims' accounts to accounts controlled by hackers, police said.
Along with eight other suspects, he was charged with conspiracy to engage in racketeering, conspiracy to commit computer fraud and identity theft, aggravated identity theft, and multiple bank fraud cases.
Two of Penchukov's accomplices, Ukrainian citizens Yevhen Kulibaba and Yuriy Konovalenko, pleaded guilty in November 2014 after being extradited from the UK and then, in 2015, were sentenced to two years and ten months in prison.
One of the first to arrest Penchukov, who has been on the FBI's most wanted list for more than 10 years, was reported by information security journalist Brian Krebs, citing his own sources. Now, the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police has confirmed the information about the arrest, which took place in Geneva on October 23, 2022, where Penchukov arrived to meet his wife.
It is known that Tank is currently awaiting extradition to the United States, although he can still appeal against the decision of the authorities. US authorities accuse the detainee, among other things, of extortion, bank fraud and identity theft.
Let me remind you that for the first time the US Department of Justice filed charges against Penchukov back in 2012, accusing him of conspiracy to steal millions of dollars using bank account numbers, passwords, personal identification numbers and other confidential information stolen using the aforementioned Zeus malware.
According to Bleeping Computer, Penchukov was also involved in the ransomware Maze and Egregor. Last year, journalists wrote that he was among the suspects arrested in January 2021 by the Ukrainian police (as part of an international operation against Egregor operators).
However, as Brian Krebs writes, “Tank” managed to avoid prosecution for many years thanks to its extensive connections, in particular, friendship with the now deceased son of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Viktor Yanukovych Jr., who was the godfather of Penchukov’s daughter.
As one of the leaders of the JabberZeus group, Penchukov managed stolen bank details and money mules that transferred money from victims' accounts to accounts controlled by hackers, police said.
Along with eight other suspects, he was charged with conspiracy to engage in racketeering, conspiracy to commit computer fraud and identity theft, aggravated identity theft, and multiple bank fraud cases.
Two of Penchukov's accomplices, Ukrainian citizens Yevhen Kulibaba and Yuriy Konovalenko, pleaded guilty in November 2014 after being extradited from the UK and then, in 2015, were sentenced to two years and ten months in prison.
