Nikita Kuzmin, Gozi Malware Distribution, New York 2024

A Russian national who created the Gozi malware, a virus that stole millions from bank accounts worldwide, has been sentenced to 37 months in prison.

Nikita Kuzmin, 37, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court for his role in creating and distributing the Gozi malware, which infected over one million computers globally and caused tens of millions of dollars in losses.

According to court documents, Gozi was designed to steal victims’ personal bank account information by infecting their computers through seemingly innocuous .pdf documents. The malware then transmitted the stolen data to Kuzmin, who used it to transfer money out of victims’ bank accounts.

Kuzmin, who used the online identity ’76,’ rented out the Gozi malware to other criminals for a fee of $500 a week, making at least a quarter of a million dollars in the process. He also developed an innovative means of distributing and profiting from the malware, pioneering the model of cybercriminals as service providers for other criminals.

The investigation into Kuzmin’s activities, which began in 2007, involved coordinated efforts between U.S. and foreign law enforcement. Kuzmin was identified as the individual who controlled the malware, and he pled guilty in May 2011 to various computer intrusion and fraud charges.

Kuzmin’s sentence brings an end to a lengthy investigation into the Gozi malware, which was used to steal money from bank accounts across the United States and Europe. The malware was found to have infected computers in over a dozen countries, including the U.S., Germany, Great Britain, Poland, France, Finland, Italy, and Turkey.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara announced Kuzmin’s sentence, saying that it ‘sends a strong message to cybercriminals that they will be held accountable for their actions.’ Kuzmin’s sentence is a significant blow to the cybercrime community, and it highlights the importance of international cooperation in combating cybercrime.

Related Federal Cases