Deer.io takedown: Russian citizen jailed for selling stolen sensitive information of US citizens online
A Russian citizen have been jailed for 30 months for his role in selling stolen bank card information and other data helpful to fuel further criminal activity.
Kirill Victorovich Firsov, 30, from Moscow, acted as being the administrator of an internet site that provided stolen private data and also other services to be played with for cybercrime, a US Department of Justice release states.
One-stop cybercrime platform
As previously reported by The Daily Swig, the now-defunct website – Deer.io – hosted about 2,000 illicit internet vendors generating approximately $17 million during its seven-year operation.
It sold information including gamer account logins, and the private data of US citizens not limited to names, current addresses, cellular phone, at times Social Security numbers.
Deer.io was introduced as small as October 2013 and was turned off following Firsov’s arrest in March 2020 after an operation by which the FBI purchased 1,100 gamer accounts as well as information that is personal for over 3,600 Americans.
The prosecutor asserted that Firsov knew deer.io was selling stolen and counterfeit accounts as he built the platform.
“Also, deer.io was easily searchable, so anyone – including Firsov – could search prestashop for stolen US accounts and information,” the making reads.
“Just about the most sold stolen accounts, deer.io wasn’t cloaked in secrecy and required no special password for access, because everything was run out of Russia, and American police could gain no foothold.”
‘Sending a message’
“The FBI will pursue cybercriminals around the world market darknet (http://dawg-park.com),” said FBI Special Agent in Charge, Suzanne Turner.
“Today’s sentence sends some text – conducting criminal activity external the United States is not to mean you happen to be from reach.
“The FBI will identify and pursue criminal actors inside the cyber-sphere, where ever they operate, and work to bring these to justice in the United States court.”
