Deer.io takedown: Russian citizen jailed for selling stolen personal data of US citizens online
A Russian citizen have been jailed for 30 months for his role in selling stolen plastic card information along with other data familiar with fuel further criminal activity.
Kirill Victorovich Firsov, 30, from Moscow, acted because administrator of a web site that provided stolen private data along with 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 a projected 2,000 illicit online shops which made approximately $17 million during its seven-year operation.
It sold information including gamer account logins, and the personal information of US citizens not confined to names, current addresses, phone numbers, possibly at times Social Security numbers.
Deer.io was released as early as October 2013 and was turn off following Firsov’s arrest in March 2020 after an operation where the FBI purchased 1,100 gamer accounts as well as the private data for over 3,600 Americans.
The prosecutor asserted that Firsov knew deer.io was selling stolen and counterfeit accounts because built the platform.
“Also, deer.io was easily searchable, so anyone – including Firsov – could search the woking platform for stolen US accounts and knowledge,” the production reads.
“Although it sold stolen accounts, deer.io hasn’t been cloaked in secrecy and required no special password for access, because everything was uses up Russia, and American police officers could gain no foothold.”
‘Sending a message’
“The FBI will pursue cybercriminals worldwide,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge, Suzanne Turner.
“Today’s sentence sends a message – conducting criminal activity from external the United States does not mean you happen to be from reach.
“The FBI will identify and world market darknet pursue criminal actors within the cyber-sphere, regardless of where they operate, and try to bring these phones justice inside a United States court.”