Russian court sentences notorious card fraud ringleader ‘Flint’ and 25 associates

Summary

A Russian military court has sentenced 26 members of the cybercrime group Flint24 to prison terms of up to 15 years. The group’s alleged ringleader, Alexei Stroganov — known as “Flint” and wanted by US authorities — received one of the longest sentences. Defendants were found guilty of forming an organised criminal group and illegally trafficking payment card data; fines of up to $57,000 were also imposed.

Authorities say the network ran a sophisticated carding operation from about 2014 until March 2020, selling stolen payment card “dumps” via roughly 90 online stores and enabling withdrawals and fraudulent online payments worldwide. Most suspects were detained in coordinated raids in March 2020 and investigators seized about $432,000 in cash. The case was heard in a military court because one defendant was serving in the armed forces when the probe began.

Stroganov previously served a six-year sentence for carding in 2006 and later worked as a cybersecurity consultant, according to Russian press. In early 2024 he was placed on the US Secret Service wanted list amid charges alleging his role in a long-running scheme that cost financial institutions millions.

Key Points

26 members of Flint24 convicted; maximum prison terms up to 15 years and fines up to $57,000.
Alexei “Flint” Stroganov, alleged ringleader and US-wanted cybercriminal, received one of the longest sentences.
Group operated from ~2014 to March 2020, running about 90 online shops selling stolen payment card “dumps”.
FSB undercover operation purchased stolen card data including CVV/CVC, used for fraudulent online payments.
Coordinated raids in March 2020 across 60 locations led to most arrests and seizure of roughly $432,000 in cash.
Stroganov has a prior 2006 conviction and was later placed on a US wanted list in 2024 for alleged large-scale carding that caused multimillion-dollar losses.
The trial was held in a military court because one defendant was in military service when the investigation began.

Why should I read this?

Short version: this is a big win in the cat-and-mouse game between law enforcement and organised carding rings — and it involves a hacker the US has long wanted. If you follow cybercrime trends, payments security or international legal wrangling, this one’s worth a quick read. We’ve boiled down the facts so you don’t have to skim through court statements and old case history yourself.

Source

Source: https://therecord.media/russia-flint-conviction-payment-fraud