Volodymyr Tymoshchuk, Ransomware Schemes, New York 2023

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Table of Contents

Defendant Charged with Ransomware Schemes

BROOKLYN, NY – Volodymyr Tymoshchuk, a Ukrainian national, has been charged with his role in international ransomware schemes. Tymoshchuk, also known as ‘deadforz,’ ‘Boba,’ ‘msfv,’ and ‘farnetwork,’ faces charges for deploying ‘Lockergoga,’ ‘Nefilim,’ and ‘Megacortex’ ransomware strains against hundreds of victims.

According to the superseding indictment, between December 2018 and October 2021, Tymoshchuk and his co-conspirators used LockerGoga, MegaCortex, and Nefilim ransomware to encrypt computer networks in countries around the world, including against victims in the Eastern District of New York and across the United States, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland. These ransomware attacks caused tens of millions of dollars of losses, resulting both from damage to victim computer systems and from ransomware payments to the perpetrators.

Tymoshchuk and his co-conspirators initially gained unauthorized access to victim networks in various ways, including through use of hacking tools to identify security vulnerabilities, perform brute-force password cracking attacks, and retrieve stored password credentials. At times, the co-conspirators also purchased compromised credentials from underground markets.

The victims of these ransomware attacks were left with no choice but to pay the ransom demand, which was tens of millions of dollars, in order to regain access to their computer files. The victims were threatened that if they refused to pay, their sensitive data would be leaked online.

Today, the superseding indictment was unsealed, charging Tymoshchuk with his role in international ransomware schemes. The charges reflect international coordination to unmask and charge a dangerous and pervasive ransomware actor who can no longer remain anonymous.

The FBI along with our law enforcement partners will continue to scour the globe to bring to justice any individual attempting to use the anonymity of the internet to commit crime.