Lawyers say Russian tourist detained in Armenia over mistaken identity in ransomware case

The Hacker News reports that a Russian tourist named Aleksandr Ermakov is being held in Armenia on a U.S. extradition request related to a ransomware case, but his lawyers claim authorities have the wrong man. The U.S. is seeking an individual with the same name who is a suspect in REvil ransomware attacks.

The detained Russian, Aleksandr Yuryevich Ermakov, was apprehended in Armenia on June 28, based on a U.S. request. His legal team asserts that the U.S. is pursuing Aleksandr Gennadievich Ermakov, a sanctioned individual linked to the REvil ransomware group, known for attacks between April 2019 and July 2021. This sanctioned Ermakov is also reportedly serving a sentence in Russia, making his extradition from Armenia unlikely.

The U.S. charging documents and Interpol notice allegedly lack sufficient identifying details, such as a patronymic, leading to a potential case of mistaken identity. The defense suggests an automated system may have matched the names without proper verification. The targeted REvil attacks impacted over 1,000 entities, including private companies, government offices, schools, and hospitals.

Source: The Hacker News