The Federal Security Service has arrested several people on suspicion of hacking into a Scottish bank and stealing $9 million, the Financial Times reported Monday.
FSB officers detained Viktor Pleshchuk and several other unidentified people in connection with the theft from the Royal Bank of Scotland, the report said, citing unidentified people familiar with the case.
A U.S. grand jury in Atlanta indicted Pleshchuk in November, along with Sergei Tsurikov, an Estonian, and Oleg Covelin of Moldova, the Financial Times said.
Investigators believe that a crime group led by Pleshchuk and Tsurikov made counterfeit versions of the payroll debit cards distributed to employees of RBS customer companies and used them in a 12-hour period in late 2008 to withdraw cash from 2,100 ATMs in 280 cities.
The FSB made no comment about the report Monday.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
