Ukrainian Hacker Sought by US Arrested in Switzerland: Report

A Ukrainian hacker sought by US authorities for a decade was arrested last month in Switzerland, the specialist website Krebs on Security reported.

Vyacheslav Igorevich Penchukov, 40, was arrested in the Swiss canton of Geneva on October 23 while visiting his wife, the site reported.

Swiss authorities confirmed to the news website Watson the arrest of a Ukrainian national sought by US authorities who is refusing extradition, but did not identify the suspect by name.

The Swiss Federal Office of Justice “decided on November 15, 2022 to authorise his extradition to the United States,” spokesman Raphael Frei told the website.

US authorities accuse Penchukov of leading a gang of hackers that stole millions of dollars by breaking into online bank accounts.

He was indicted in the United States along with eight others in 2012, but has so far evaded arrest.

According to the indictment, the gang members used the Zeus malware to gain bank account numbers and passwords necessary to get access.

The Krebs on Security website said the gang focused on small and medium-sized business, adding “money mules” it had recruited onto the payroll who would then transfer the money onward to the gang.

The website said that Penchukov was from the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk that was recently annexed by Russia.

“In his hometown, Penchukov was a well-known deejay (“DJ Slava Rich”) who enjoyed being seen riding around in his high-end BMWs and Porsches,” said the website.