Bukovyna police detained a 22-year-old who created malware to hack social media accounts, mainly targeting users in the US and Europe, and sold the stolen accounts on a hacker forum where he later became an “arbitrator.” He also ran a bot farm of more than 5,000 fake profiles used to inflate follower counts for clients engaging in shadow schemes. Cyber police of Ukraine, together with the Security Service of Ukraine and regional prosecutors, identified him, seized his devices, and documented extensive digital evidence. He now faces multiple cybercrime charges that carry penalties of up to 15 years in prison and is currently under 24-hour house arrest while the investigation continues.
