Cyber police have arrested a hacker from Odessa who was stealing user accounts from US online platforms.
Cyber police officers from the Odesa region and investigators from the Main Investigation Department of the National Police, under the procedural guidance of the Office of the Prosecutor General, conducted an investigation as part of international legal assistance at the request of US law enforcement agencies.
According to the investigation, between 2024 and 2025, the perpetrators gained unauthorised access to over 28,000 user accounts at an online store in California.
To carry out the scheme, they used malware of the infostealer type. It infected users’ devices, collected login credentials and transmitted them to controlled servers. This information was subsequently processed and sold via specialised online resources and Telegram bots.
The investigation established that at least 5,800 of the stolen accounts were used for unauthorised purchases totalling approximately $721,000. Losses, including those resulting from chargebacks, amounted to over $250,000, or approximately 11 million hryvnias.
Law enforcement officers identified an 18-year-old resident of Odesa, who is believed to be involved in administering the online infrastructure for processing, selling and using the stolen session data. According to the investigation, he used cryptocurrency services for financial transactions with his accomplices.
On 12 May, law enforcement officers carried out authorised searches at the residences of the suspected group members. During the search operations, they seized computer equipment, mobile phones, bank cards, electronic storage devices and other digital evidence.
Among the items seized, law enforcement officers discovered access to resources through which the stolen data was sold, email addresses used to alter the settings of compromised accounts, server activity logs and cryptocurrency exchange accounts.
Law enforcement officers are currently analysing the seized equipment, identifying all those involved and investigating other possible instances of criminal activity.
