Hacker accused of orchestrating massive hack of US financial institutions arrested

A 35-year-old Russian national has been extradited from Georgia to the United States and arrested for allegedly taking part in a major hacking operation that targeted US-based financial companies, financial news media and brokerage firms, announced the Manhattan US Attorney”s office on Friday.

Andrei Tyurin has been linked to illicit online gambling, securities market manipulation schemes, payment processing fraud and the theft of data of over 80 million customers from a single institution in Manhattan, “the largest theft of customer data from a U.S. financial institution in history,” reads the press release. The man is believed to have orchestrated the scheme with Gery Shalon, a/k/a “Garri Shalelashvili,” a/k/a “Gabriel,” a/k/a “Gabi,” a/k/a “Phillipe Mousset,” a/k/a “Christopher Engeham”; Joshua Samuel Aaron, a/k/a “Mike Shields”; and Ziv Orenstein, a/k/a “Aviv Stein,” a/k/a “John Avery.

The computer hacking campaign started in 2012 and ran until mid-2015. The group orchestrated the entire operation from a remote location, and they are responsible for a theft of data belonging to more than 100 million people. The arrest was a joint effort of the Secret Service New York Field Office Electronic Crimes Task Force, FBI New York Office Cyber Division and global partners.

“Andrei Tyurin, a Russian national, is alleged to have participated in a global hacking campaign that targeted major financial institutions, brokerage firms, news agencies, and other companies,” said Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman.

“Tyurin”s alleged hacking activities were so prolific, they lay claim to the largest theft of U.S. customer data from a single financial institution in history, accounting for a staggering 80 million-plus victims. As Americans increasingly turn to online banking, theft of online personal information can cause devastating effects on their financial wellbeing, sometimes taking years to recover. Today”s extradition marks a significant milestone for law enforcement in the fight against cyber intrusions targeting our critical financial institution.”