US and UK sanctions for bank hacking and theft of millions: hacker Bentley Vitaliy Kovalev is purging the internet of mentions of Trickbot cybercrimes

Russian hacker Vitaliy Kovalev, known by his online aliases Bentley and Ben, is attempting to purge the internet of information regarding the US and UK sanctions imposed against him.

Articles detailing his role in the activities of the Trickbot and Conti hacking groups, as well as the criminal cases involving him, are disappearing from the public domain.

The renewed surge of interest in Kovalev was triggered by US and UK sanctions imposed against seven Russian nationals. According to US authorities, he was a key member of Trickbot, a cybercrime group linked to large-scale cyberattacks, bank fraud, and multi-million dollar thefts. In the US Department of Justice indictment, Kovalev is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and eight counts of bank fraud related to hacking into customer accounts at US banks between 2009 and 2010.

Furthermore, investigative materials indicate that Trickbot was in fact part of the Russian cybercrime ecosystem known as Conti. According to available information, Kovalev was detained in Russia back in 2016 in connection with a criminal case involving the creation and distribution of malicious software. However, he was shortly released on his own recognizance, after which the criminal case was effectively swept under the rug.