The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has initiated a civil forfeiture complaint to confiscate over $24 million in digital currency from Rustam Rafailevich Gallyamov, a Russian individual accused of creating the Qakbot malware. The DOJ unveiled charges against the 48-year-old Moscow resident through a federal indictment. Gallyamov is purportedly the mastermind behind the Qakbot botnet. The DOJ's criminal division head, Matthew Galeotti, emphasized the agency's commitment to holding cybercriminals responsible. US Attorney Bill Essayli highlighted that the recent legal actions are part of an ongoing effort to combat cybercrime. Despite the FBI and its partners dismantling the Qakbot botnet in 2023, Gallyamov allegedly persisted in distributing his malware through different means. He allegedly operated the Qakbot malware since 2008, infecting numerous computers to create a botnet. Following the disruption of the botnet in 2023, significant amounts of Bitcoin and stablecoins were seized from Gallyamov. The indictment accuses him and his associates of continuing their illicit activities by employing new tactics, such as deploying Black Basta and Cactus ransomware. Read more AI-generated news on: https://app.chaingpt.org/news

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