4 Members of REvil Ransomware Group Sentenced in Russia

So, I’m not totally sure, but I think this is the first time I’ve seen Russia actually sentencing its own for being part of a cybercrime group. We all know a lot of cybercriminals operate out of Russia, but it feels like they usually don’t go after them that hard. What do you guys think about this? Is this a sign that the government might start cracking down on cybercriminals more seriously from now on? What made them finally chase down the REvil group this time? They’ve been causing chaos for ages, and now four of their members have been sentenced. Seems kinda wild.

We can say that it is positive that they were convicted, but you did not write what exact punishments they received? It's no secret that every convict in Russia can exchange his sentence for participation in the war - if he survives for 6 months, he gets his freedom back. The guys from this story could serve their sentence that way too.

That they can do but do you think a coder involved in the crime of creating ransomware will be able to survive the war for 6 months They have the option but I doubt they would avoid fighting the war unless the Russian government makes it mandatory for criminals.

This is their punishment: And another 4 is awaiting trial, and it is also mentioned that Biden has spoken to Putin about this group and probably they are wrecking havoc on any US industry and that's why they are a must for Russia to be caught and put into trial. Not sure if they can served or be "force" to go to war to get shorter sentence.

You are right there, but in that case they can offer their "services" to the government, because the war is not only fought on the battlefield, but also online. Given the range of punishments as @Jating wrote and the conditions in Russian prisons, any other option that would not include serving as cannon fodder would be acceptable. In any case, I think that such punishments are very "motivating" in relation to the damage that such people cause with their misdeeds. I don't know if in the Russian penal system there is a possibility to release the convict after 2/3 of the sentence served or maybe there is an option of pardon - but I will repeat again that such small sentences do not send a good message to others who think about such things.

Criminals deserve to be punished. I am glad that they have been sentenced to prison and it will serve as a deterrent to others who feel that they can be protected by the government.    The article pointed out that Joe Biden spoke with Vladimir Putin on the phone and told him to handle Russian hackers-extorters. Maybe the Russian President is showing Joe that his government doesn't support criminals.    It's sad to see people lose their hard-earned money to criminals. Hoping that more of these hackers will be arrested and put in jail.

Cyber criminal are criminals! They are harmful to the society and especially to the businesses around the world. It's a pleasure to see that such criminals are getting prosecuted. I would like to see more and more such criminals behind the bars! I can see some people think that criminals are protected by their country but that's only true for North Korea. I don't think Russia protects these criminals at all and this incident is going to set an example in front of the world. Not sure if Joe Biden really spoke with Vladimir Putin on this, but I am sure Joe Biden has more important things to speak. The world is going through a crisis at this moment. Probably Joe Biden stops his push to include Ukraine to NATO. It might end the Russia-Ukraine war!

Your information is old. Nowadays in Russia you do not need to be convicted. A person can sign a contract for military service after being detained, and the criminal case is suspended. Contracts for military service are now open-ended. After a person is discharged, receives an award, or is wounded, which does not allow him to continue serving under the contract, the criminal case is closed. I would like to point out that Russia has very small prison sentences for cybercrime. In the United States or Europe, this punishment would be many times greater.

It seems to me that the penalties are not higher even in the US or the EU for cybercrime - at least I got that impression from all the cases that were discussed on this forum. I don't believe that all these criminals would have received a much higher sentence if they had been tried in the US - because if you return the money, repent and snitch on someone, you usually get a suspended sentence. How much fine did that scammer Trapani get? Instead of being in prison, he makes documentaries about how good it feels to be a criminal and make a lot of money - the system is quite strange in some cases.

I can give many examples, but I agree that the judicial system is very strange. CZ got off with big fines, Aleksey Pertsev got 64 months in prison. https://cointelegraph.com/news/tornado-cash-developer-alexey-pertsev-denied-bail-while-awaiting-appeal "Alexey Pertsev, the developer behind the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)-sanctioned crypto mixer Tornado Cash, has been denied bail while his lawyers prepare to submit an appeal for charges of money laundering. Pertsev’s defense lawyer, Keith Cheng, told DL News that the rejection of his bail request came as a surprise. He noted that an additional request for Pertsev to gain access to a computer to prepare for his appeal was also denied."

The sentences are not a strong enough deterrent in my honest opinion, and people involved in cybercrime would rather take the risk of scamming people and getting away with millions without being caught, because even if they are 'unlucky' and get caught, the punishment is not so terrible. I will always support the idea that cybercriminals and scammers who run crypto firms should get a longer time in prison if they are convicted of crime, so it will act as a deterrent to others.

There have been plenty of examples in the world where very long sentences or the death penalty have been imposed for offences, but this has not been a deterrent. Russian history, 1917, US history, Prohibition.

It is true that there would always be all sorts of criminals, even if those who were caught were given long sentences, we both know it is not going to completely eradicate criminality, that's not even possible. However, i still feel it has an effect and even it it deters one or two people or gangs, it has served its purpose, no?

These are the statistics of criminal cases in Russia for the year 2023 https://stat.xn----7sbqk8achja.xn--p1ai/stats/ug/t/14/s/17 According to statistics, approximately 50% of all crimes are related to non-payment of alimony, theft, fraud and possession and sale of drugs. Drug-related criminal cases in Russia carry very long prison sentences, up to 15 years, and the sentences for all offences add up. But even a life sentence will not solve the drug problem, because it is one of the most lucrative businesses in the world. Analyse these statistics in your country and draw the right conclusions.

Thanks for this point. Perhaps, this explains why the op made such a fallacious statement. I also had difficulty accepting what he wrote about the Russian government giving cybercriminals a free pass. I didn't believe it because no sensible government would do that. Even if the cybercriminals do not target fellow Russians but decide to go after non citizens, a thief is a thief and should be made to face the full wrath of the law.

I knew this was a similar news. It happened about two years ago and Russia did that according to news sources based on requests from the US. From the link provided they have been in custody since 2022 and just got their sentencing. I hate criminals and they especially those who do it to hurt people . And this also serves as a reminder that crime doesn't pay. Sooner than later criminals will be caught unless they chage their ways. The quote :

It's good that you realise that no government will ever use cyber criminals. These people can be apprehended in another country and give away all the information to avoid criminal penalties.