Four Vietnamese nationals linked to the FIN9 cybercrime group have been indicted in the U.S. for orchestrating cyber intrusions that resulted in over $71 million in losses to various companies. The accused, Ta Van Tai (aka Quynh Hoa and Bich Thuy), Nguyen Viet Quoc (aka Tien Nguyen), Nguyen Trang Xuyen, and Nguyen Van Truong (aka Chung Nguyen), allegedly conducted phishing campaigns and supply chain compromises to steal non-public information, employee benefits, and funds from May 2018 to October 2021.
The U.S. Department of Justice revealed that the defendants gained unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks, pilfering gift card data, personally identifiable information, and credit card details. They used the stolen information to evade detection, including opening online accounts at cryptocurrency exchanges and setting up hosting servers. The stolen gift cards were sold through accounts registered with fake names on peer-to-peer cryptocurrency marketplaces to conceal the illicit funds’ origins.
All four defendants face charges including conspiracy to commit fraud, extortion, and related activities involving computers, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and intentional damage to a protected computer, carrying potential sentences of up to 45 years in prison. Additional charges include conspiracy to commit money laundering, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit identity fraud, which could result in further penalties of up to 20 and 17 years, respectively.
This indictment follows recent developments, including two U.S. members of the ViLE hacking group pleading guilty to compromising a federal law enforcement database and extortion. The European Council also imposed sanctions on six individuals for cyber attacks against critical infrastructure and government systems in the EU and Ukraine, emphasizing the need for international cooperation to maintain a secure cyberspace.