Russian extradited to US from SKorea to face ransomware charges

Evgenii Ptitsyn, 42, a Russian national, has been extradited to the US from South Korea to face ransomware charges Copyright AFP/File Stefani Reynolds

A Russian national has been extradited to the United States from South Korea to face charges he distributed ransomware that targeted schools, hospitals and other institutions, the Justice Department said Monday.

Evgenii Ptitsyn, 42, allegedly extorted $16 million in payments using a ransomware program known as Phobos, the department said.

“Ptitsyn and his coconspirators ran the Phobos ransomware group, whose members committed ransomware attacks against more than 1,000 public and private victims throughout the United States and the rest of the world,” Nicole Argentieri, a senior Justice Department official, said in a statement.

“Ptitsyn and his coconspirators hacked not only large corporations but also schools, hospitals, nonprofits, and a federally recognized tribe,” Argentieri said.

The indictment alleges that Ptitsyn began offering access to Phobos in November 2020 to “affiliates” which allowed them to encrypt the data of victims and extort a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption keys.

Ptitsyn is charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud, causing intentional damage to protected computers and extortion in relation to hacking.

If convicted, he could face decades in prison.