Russian Nationals Charged in $63 Million Cyber Scam Across 21 U.S. States

Three Russian nationals are accused of scamming Americans in 21 states, obtaining over $63 million. A U.S. Attorney’s Office in Ohio revealed a December 2024 indictment on Tuesday.

The accused are Alexander Alexandrovich Volosovik, 43, Kirill Andreevich Zatolokin, 34, and Yulia Vladimirovna Pankova, 29. Federal prosecutors state they conducted malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure through companies based in St. Petersburg, Russia, named Media Land, LLC and ML.Cloud, LLC.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva from the Department of Justice Criminal Division noted that these defendants remotely operated criminal structures, targeting vital U.S. institutions. Their actions put the American public at risk, Duva added, emphasizing efforts to dismantle such networks.

From their overseas safe haven, these defendants ran the criminal infrastructure that powered attacks on critical institutions across our nation.

A grand jury charged the trio with conspiracy involving computer fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in December 2024. To aid in the investigation, the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program offers up to $10 million for details on their associates.

Sanctions were imposed by the U.S. and allies on these companies in 2025. As per the indictment, Media Land and ML.Cloud provided hosting and IT infrastructure both in the U.S. and abroad. They notably offered bulletproof hosting meant to evade law enforcement detection.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office revealed that these services enabled co-conspirators to infect computers with malware and ransomware, leading to extortion of victims for money and cryptocurrency. Media Land and ML.Cloud supported criminal activities like fraudulent domain registrations, phishing, and other cybercrimes.

Though Americans were primarily victims, their reach was global, prompting collaboration with international agencies. U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer highlighted the far-reaching impact, affecting banks, schools, government entities, hospitals, and media companies across 21 states.

Together with our international partners, we will aggressively combat the efforts of individuals who hide behind computers anywhere in the world who seek to profit and wreak havoc.

Toepfer expressed gratitude to international organizations such as the National Police of the Netherlands, the UK’s National Crime Agency, and Australian authorities, among others.

FBI Cleveland’s Special Agent Josh DelManzo emphasized the role of global partnerships against cybercriminals. He urged vigilance online, acknowledging the threats posed by ransomware, phishing, and other cyber activities. The FBI aims to identify and dismantle threatening networks, thereby protecting individuals and businesses.

Fox News Digital sought additional comments from the DOJ, though the U.S. Attorney’s office declined due to the ongoing investigation.