Category Archives: Andrii Kolpakov

Andrii Kolpakov, who supervised hackers for FIN7, sentenced to 7 years in prison

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A U.S. court on Thursday sentenced Andrii Kolpakov, a Ukrainian national, to seven years in prison for his role in the FIN7 gang. Kolpakov, 33, functioned as a supervisor for a small team of hackers who between 2016 and 2018 breached victims including Chipotle, Red Robin, Arby’s and other U.S. corporations. Victims experienced “enormous” losses, according to the Justice Department, that by some estimates have exceeded $1 billion. Kolpakov pleaded guilty in November 2020 and faced up to 25 years behind bars. Spanish police arrested him in 2018, ultimately extraditing him to the U.S. “During the course of the scheme, [Kolpakov] received compensation for his participation in FIN7, which far exceeds comparable legitimate employment in Ukraine,” the plea deal noted. “For the purposes of this plea agreement, the parties agree that — during [Kolpakov’s] participation in the malware scheme — FIN7 illegal activity resulted in over $100 million in losses […]

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FIN7 scammers posed as SEC officials, sick restaurant customers to hack victims

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A hacking group known for innovative fraud techniques impersonated angry restaurant customers and targeted specific individuals with unique access to financial information, U.S. prosecutors argue in a court filing that sheds new light on the scammers’ work. The FIN7 gang, which researchers have blamed for more than $1 billion in theft since 2015, relied on more than 70 members who were assigned to various departments under the larger organization, according to court documents filed on June 17 in U.S. District Court in Seattle. By masquerading as a cybersecurity testing company dubbed Combi Security, FIN7 leaders organized their personnel into separate teams charged with developing malware, crafting phishing documents and collecting money from breached victims. The group targeted hundreds of U.S. companies, prosecutors say, infecting victims as diverse as the burrito chain Chipotle and the department store Saks Fifth Avenue. Court documents filed in the case of Andrii Kolpakov, who pleaded […]

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FIN7 recruiter Andrii Kolpakov pleads guilty to role in global hacking scheme

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One of the ringleaders of FIN7, a global hacking crew accused of stealing more than $1 billion by posing as a cybersecurity vendor, has admitted his role in the scheme. Andrii Kolpakov pleaded guilty on Monday to conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud and conspiracy to commit computer hacking as part of his involvement with FIN7. U.S. prosecutors had accused Kolpakov, a Ukrainian national, of working as a manager and recruiter for the crew, a role in which he hired and supervised computer specialists who spent their days stealing payment card information from dozens of companies, including Chipotle, Red Robin and Sonic Drive-In. “During the course of the scheme, [Kolpakov] received compensation for his participation in FIN7, which far exceeds comparable legitimate employment in Ukraine,” the plea deal notes. “For the purposes of this plea agreement, the parties agree that — during [Kolpakov’s] participation in the malware scheme — […]

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Alleged FIN7 hacking director Andrii Kolpakov set to be extradited to the U.S.

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One of three men who allegedly helped lead the FIN7 hacking group, which the U.S. Department of Justice says is behind the theft of 15 million payment card numbers, is scheduled to be extradited to the U.S., CyberScoop has learned. Andrii Kolpakov, will plead not guilty when he arrives in court from Spain to face charges in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, according to his attorney, Vadim Glozman, who took over the case in April. Glozman said the timing of the extradition is unclear, but another source familiar with the matter said it will be “in the coming weeks.” Spanish police arrested Koplakov in June 2018 at the behest of U.S. authorities. The Ukrainian national, who was 30 when he was taken into custody, faces 26 criminal counts in the U.S., including aggravated identity theft, intentional damage to a protected computer and wire fraud, according to a U.S. […]

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