Phishing And Spear-Phishing Prosecutions
1. United States v. Maksim Yakubets (2021)
Facts:
Yakubets was a leader of the notorious cybercriminal group Evil Corp, which carried out extensive phishing and spear-phishing campaigns to steal banking credentials and commit financial fraud worldwide.
Legal Issue:
Charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank fraud, and computer intrusion through spear-phishing schemes.
Outcome:
Indicted in the U.S.; subject to international sanctions.
Efforts ongoing to extradite and prosecute.
Significance:
Highlighted how spear-phishing is used by organized crime to access bank accounts.
Demonstrated international cooperation against cybercriminals.
2. United States v. Christopher Rad (2020)
Facts:
Rad sent spear-phishing emails impersonating corporate executives to employees at several companies, tricking them into transferring large sums of money.
Legal Issue:
Charged with wire fraud and identity theft for spear-phishing to commit financial fraud.
Outcome:
Pleaded guilty.
Sentenced to several years in prison and ordered to pay restitution.
Significance:
Classic case of business email compromise (BEC) via spear-phishing prosecuted under fraud statutes.
Reinforced that phishing targeting employees for money transfer is a serious federal offense.
3. United States v. Hamza Bendelladj (2016)
Facts:
Bendelladj created and distributed phishing malware used to steal personal and banking info globally.
Legal Issue:
Charged with computer fraud, conspiracy, and identity theft related to phishing malware.
Outcome:
Arrested and extradited to the U.S.
Sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Significance:
Showed the link between phishing campaigns and malware distribution.
Established precedent for prosecuting international cybercriminals.
4. United States v. Maksym Yastremskiy (2019)
Facts:
Yastremskiy operated phishing websites impersonating popular banks and payment services, stealing millions in user credentials.
Legal Issue:
Charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud, and identity theft.
Outcome:
Pleaded guilty.
Sentenced to over 10 years imprisonment.
Significance:
Demonstrated how fake websites combined with phishing are prosecuted.
Emphasized cooperation between U.S. and foreign law enforcement.
5. United States v. Roman Seleznev (2017)
Facts:
Seleznev hacked companies’ networks using spear-phishing to install malware and steal credit card data, causing over $169 million in losses.
Legal Issue:
Charged with wire fraud, identity theft, and hacking-related offenses.
Outcome:
Convicted and sentenced to 27 years in prison.
One of the longest sentences for cybercrime.
Significance:
Showed how spear-phishing can be used as a gateway to massive data breaches.
Sentencing served as a strong deterrent message.
6. United States v. Evgeniy Bogachev (Ongoing case)
Facts:
Bogachev ran the GameOver Zeus botnet, which spread via spear-phishing emails to infect computers and steal banking info.
Legal Issue:
Charged with conspiracy, computer intrusion, wire fraud, and money laundering.
Outcome:
Indicted but remains at large.
Target of ongoing international law enforcement efforts.
Significance:
Illustrates spear-phishing as part of sophisticated botnet operations.
Highlights challenges in prosecuting cybercriminals abroad.
Summary Table:
| Case | Type of Phishing | Charges | Outcome | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. v. Yakubets | Spear-phishing for bank fraud | Wire fraud, bank fraud | Indicted, extradition pending | Organized cybercrime and international law enforcement |
| U.S. v. Christopher Rad | Spear-phishing BEC | Wire fraud, identity theft | Guilty plea, prison sentence | Business Email Compromise prosecution |
| U.S. v. Hamza Bendelladj | Phishing malware | Computer fraud, identity theft | 15 years prison | Malware distribution and phishing link |
| U.S. v. Maksym Yastremskiy | Phishing websites | Bank fraud, wire fraud | Guilty plea, 10+ years prison | Fake sites + phishing prosecuted |
| U.S. v. Roman Seleznev | Spear-phishing + malware | Wire fraud, hacking | 27 years prison | Massive data breach via spear-phishing |
| U.S. v. Evgeniy Bogachev | Spear-phishing botnet | Conspiracy, intrusion | Indicted, at large | Spear-phishing in botnet operations |
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