Mom by day, Hacker by night! The Russian woman from Genoa continues to be talked about. New developments in the investigations

RHC editorial team: June 18, 2024 3:27 pm

Last November, a Russian hacker was jailed for the third time in Genoa, revealing her involvement in a complex network of computer fraud and money laundering. The woman, a 44-year-old of Siberian origins, was identified as the Italian terminal of an organization dedicated to these criminal activities.

Repeated Arrests and Recidivism

The woman’s story is marked by repeated arrests. Although she was first taken to prison in October 2021, she also continued to commit cyber crimes while under house arrest. In June 2022, she was re-incarcerated. However, after being released and placed under house arrest at a voluntary association, he resumed contact with his accomplices, continuing with the illicit activities until his third arrest in 2023.

Investigations and Discovery of Accomplices

The investigations conducted by the Liguria postal police, coordinated by the Genoa Prosecutor’s Office, led to the identification of two accomplices of the Russian hacker. Thanks to the detailed analysis of the seized computer devices, investigators managed to unlock numerous phones and devices used by the woman, despite her refusal to provide access passwords.

Accomplices and Fraudulent Operations

The accomplices, a twenty-three year old Cuban and a thirty one year old Ivorian, helped the woman to fraudulently open current accounts and credit cards both in Italy and in other European countries. They also activated cards obtained via the dark web and managed payment points in the name of a cell phone repair company in the historic center of Genoa, which was later closed. Furthermore, the two accomplices monetized the illicit proceeds on multiple occasions.

Millionaire Loot and Ongoing Investigations

The proceeds of the crimes were estimated at several million euros. Part of these funds was invested in cryptocurrencies.

Currently, the experts of the section Financial Cybercrime of the Postal Police are deepening investigations to identify possible cash out points and trace the flow of illicit money.

Conclusions

The woman, considered a calm mother of the family in everyday life, it turned out an expert hacker involved in sophisticated criminal activities.

His resistance to cooperating with law enforcement and his ability to resume illegal activities after each arrest underline the complexity and determination of the organization of which he was a part. Investigations continue to completely dismantle the network and recover the illicit funds.