Maksim Viktorovich Yakubets (Russian: Максим Викторович Якубец) is a Russian[1] computer expert and alleged computer hacker. He is alleged to have been a member of the Evil Corp, Jabber Zeus Crew, as well as the alleged leader of the Bugat malware conspiracy.[2][3][4] Russian media openly describe Yakubets as a "hacker who stole $100 million", friend of Dmitry Peskov and discussed his lavish lifestyle, including luxury wedding with a daughter of FSB officer Eduard Bendersky and Lamborghini with "ВОР" (Russian for "thief") registration plate.[5][6][7] Yakubets's impunity in Russia is perceived as clue of his close ties with FSB, but also criticized by domestic information security experts such as Ilya Sachkov.[8]
^"MAKSIM VIKTOROVICH YAKUBETS". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
^"USA V. YAKUBETS". November 14, 2019. As more fully described below, DEFENDANT and others (collectively, the "Jabber Zeus Crew") have infected thousands of business computers with malicious software that captures passwords, account numbers, and other information necessary to log into online banking accounts, and have then used the captured information to steal millions of dollars from victims' bank accounts.
^"Russian National Charged with Decade-Long Series of Hacking and Bank Fraud Offenses Resulting in Tens of Millions in Losses and Second Russian National Charged with Involvement in Deployment of "Bugat" Malware". United States Department of Justice. December 5, 2019. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2020. Yakubets was the leader of the group of conspirators involved with the Bugat malware and botnet, according to the indictment. As the leader, he oversaw and managed the development, maintenance, distribution, and infection of Bugat as well as the financial theft and use of money mules.
^Ng, Alfred (December 5, 2019). "US puts $5 million bounty on Russian hacking group Evil Corp. leader". CNET. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
^"Свадьба хакера Максима Якубца и дочери офицера группы ФСБ "Вымпел" за £250 тыс. прошла в гольф-клубе Целеево". Русский Монитор | Russian Monitor (in Russian). 2019-12-11. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
^"Ручные хакеры, экстравагантные миллионеры Как Evil Corp — самая могущественная хакерская группировка в мире — связана с российскими силовиками. Расследование Лилии Яппаровой". Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-10-13.
^"Госдеп США: хакер Aqua из России разорил американцев на 70 миллионов долларов". vesti.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-10-13.
^Seddon, Max (2021-10-13). "Russia sends warning to cyber security sector with arrest of Ilya Sachkov". Financial Times. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
installation of Zeus. "MAKSIM VIKTOROVICH YAKUBETS". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 9 November 2021. "USA V. YAKUBETS". November 14, 2019. As...
response to ransomware attacks emanating from Russia, pointing to MaksimYakubets as an example. Sachkov's criticism of the Russian government's apparent...
Tikonov was a coder for the criminal enterprise. MaksimYakubets, alias "aqua", a resident of Russia. Yakubets managed and recruited money mules for the group...
December 5, 2019, for information leading to Evil Corp head MaksimYakubets's arrest. Yakubets had previously worked with Bogachev as part of the Jabber...