Russian man accused of selling thousands of stolen passwords online now wanted by FBI

A 23-year-old Russian man accused of operating an online criminal marketplace that sold thousands of stolen passwords, authentication tools and pieces of personal information is now on the FBI’s Cyber Most-Wanted List.

Igor Dekhtyarchuk, a resident and national of Russia, was named in an indictment returned by an East Texas grand jury on March 16, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.

FBI investigators in Texas started looking into Dekhtyarchuk in March 2021 and making covert purchases from an online site Dekhtyarchuk is accused of administrating.

That website claimed to have sold access to more than 48,000 compromised email accounts and more than 39,000 other types of compromised online accounts, including some belonging to people in the United States and Australia, according to federal court documents.

The site averaged about 5,000 daily visitors in March 2022 and specialized in selling access to online payment platforms by providing stolen data associated with the accounts, such as names, home addresses, login credentials and credit card numbers, federal officials said.

“This case exemplifies the need for all of us, right now, to take steps to protect our online identity, our personal data, and our monetary accounts,” U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston said in a statement. “Cyber-criminals are lurking behind the glow of computer screens and are harming Americans.”

If convicted, Dekhtyarchuk faces up to 20 years in federal prison, according to the Department of Justice. Federal prosecutors are also seeking that he pay $200,000 in restitution.

This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 5:54 PM with the headline "Russian man accused of selling thousands of stolen passwords online now wanted by FBI."