FBI seizes $24 million in Crypto Assets from Russian cybercrime leader

According to a report from Deep Tide TechFlow on May 24, the U.S. Department of Justice has charged Russian citizen Rustam Gallyamov, accusing him of leading a global cybercrime gang and developing the notorious Qakbot malware. Authorities have seized over $24 million in Crypto Assets related to this criminal activity, planning to return them to the victims.

Gallyamov is accused of operating the Qakbot malware since 2008, infecting over 700,000 computers worldwide and contributing to major ransomware attacks such as Conti, Black Basta, and REvil. In August 2023, during a U.S.-led international operation, authorities seized over 170 bitcoins and more than 4 million USDT and USDC from Gallyamov.

This action is part of a joint effort by the United States, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Canada to combat cybercrime. If convicted, Gallyamov faces up to 25 years in federal prison.