Russian hackers Vasily Gorshkov and Alexey Ivanov were two years ago suspected by the FBI of hacking into the networks of at least 40 US companies and stealing credit card numbers. According to reports, they were contacted by FBI agents who offered them jobs with a fictitious security company in the US.
When the hackers arrived in Seattle, agents posing as officials of the fictitious company asked them to demonstrate their skills on a computer. The agents allegedly used “sniffer” software to record their activities.
When the hackers were subsequently arrested, the Russian agency claims that the FBI agents illegally used the recorded passwords and account numbers to download vital evidence from the Russian computers, without obtaining a warrant.
In the US, Gorshkov has already been convicted of conspiracy, fraud and various computer offences. Ivanov is still awaiting trial. In Russia, the FBI’s Michael Schuler, who appearently led the investigation, was on Thursday charged with hacking.
The case is thought to be the first incident of cross-border hacking for the purpose of seizing evidence.