Man sold 14,000 logins and passwords used to steal money

WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice is notifying victims that a man, who sold thousands of usernames and passwords so others could steal money for years, will be sentenced later this month. 

After pleading guilty to several charges in March, Alexander Pakhtusov will be sentenced on Sept. 13. Part of that sentencing includes the reading of victim impact statements, which are messages from the victims regarding how the crime affected their lives. 

According to the United States Attorney's Office of the District of Columbia, Pakhtusov was a seller on Slilpp and Paysell (now called Blackpass) using the moniker "Mrtikov." Between at least April 2016 and September 2019, Pakhtusov listed for sale over 17 million accounts at various companies and banks. He reportedly sold more than 14,000 sets of login credentials. 

The people who purchased those logins and passwords went on to steal money from the victims' accounts. 

Pakhtusov was indicted on 14 counts, including Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft, on Sept. 17, 2019. Following his indictment, he was extradited to the United States. 

Pakhtusov pleaded guilty on March 12, 2021, to one count of access device fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft. He is set to be sentenced on Sept. 13. 

Victims are not required to submit victim impact statements, even if they were reimbursed for their loss. 

"You still are entitled to be treated as a victim and as such, may complete a victim impact statement," the Department of Justice said. 

Victims who choose to complete a statement must submit the victim impact statement via email by Sept. 8, 2023, to USADC.VIS.USvPakhtusov@usdoj.gov.