Security News > 2024 > March > Admin of major stolen account marketplace gets 42 months in prison
Moldovan national Sandu Boris Diaconu has been sentenced to 42 months in prison for operating E-Root, a major online marketplace that sold access to hacked computers worldwide.
"The victims span the globe and all industries, as well as at least one local government agency in Tampa. Many victims were subject to ransomware attacks, and some of the stolen credentials listed on the Marketplace were linked to stolen identity tax fraud schemes."
Diaconu was an administrator of the E-Root Marketplace between January 2015 and February 2020.
The E-Root marketplace transactions also used an online payment system dubbed Perfect Money to obfuscate the payment chain.
"The Marketplace looked like a traditional e-commerce website and functioned like a legitimate business would. The Marketplace touted the fact that it sold valid login credentials to compromised servers, offered an exchange and warranty policy, and offered high-quality customer service," the indictment states.
"The Marketplace existed primarily as a place for individuals to buy and sell RDP and SSH access to compromised servers, which was used to facilitate a wide range of illegal activity, such as ransomware attacks, fraudulent wire transfers, and tax fraud."