Ukrainian cyber police have arrested fraudsters selling 100 million hacked accounts.

Ukraine's cyber police detained three hackers

Ukraine's cyber police, together with the national police, detained three hackers trying to sell 100 million compromised emails and Instagram accounts.

The methods of hackers and their activities

Three men obtained credentials by carrying out brute force attacks, then sold them to other cybercriminals through shady online marketplaces and hacking forums.

Results of the cyber police operation

The Cyber Police of Ukraine reports that the buyers of the compromised accounts used them for various fraudulent activities, including the "Friend Asking for a Loan" scheme.

Allegations and their consequences

Ukrainian police conducted seven raids on the suspects' homes in Kiev, Odessa, Vinnytsia and Ivano-Frankivsk. Authorities charged the three suspects with unauthorized access to information systems and networks, which can lead to imprisonment for up to 15 years under Ukrainian law.

Recommendations for account protection

It is recommended that you protect your accounts by enabling two-factor authentication and using strong passwords.

Ukrainian police efforts

It is important to emphasize the efforts of the Ukrainian police, who are working under difficult conditions due to the Russian occupation. This operation is the latest success of the effective cyber department.

The Cyber Police of Ukraine, in collaboration with the National Police, has arrested three hackers attempting to sell 100 million compromised email addresses and Instagram accounts. The Ukrainian Cyber Police and National Police detained three individuals suspected of hacking attacks on more than 100 million email addresses and Instagram accounts worldwide and offering them for sale. The three men obtained credentials by conducting brute force attacks and then sold them to other cybercriminals through shadowy online markets and hacking forums. "The Cyber Police of Kharkiv region, together with investigators from the State Police of the region, identified three criminals aged between 20 and 40 who stole emails and Instagram accounts from Internet users thanks to the criminal procedure of the Kharkiv regional prosecutor's office," reads the press release from the Ukrainian Cyber Police. "The criminals used the brute force method, which involves guessing passwords by trying a large number of phrases using special software." The accomplices lived in different regions of Ukraine. Each of them performed specific tasks for their main group, compiling databases with the data of hacked accounts and offering them for sale in the dark corners of the Internet. Over the years, this group managed to compile a database of stolen accounts from more than 100 million Internet users worldwide. The Ukrainian Cyber Police reports that buyers of the compromised accounts used them for various fraudulent activities, including the "Friend Asks for a Loan" scheme. The "Friend Asks for a Loan" scheme in cybercrime involves scammers posing as a friend or acquaintance of the victim and contacting them via email, social media, or messaging apps.