24-year-old Ukrainian linked to TJX identify theft
Yesterday's Boston Globe reports a link between a 24-year-old Ukrainian and the data breach at TJX Companies. The United States Secret Service arrested Maksym Yastremskiy on July 26 outside a nightclub in the beach resort town of Kemer, Turkey. It is unclear whether he is the mastermind behind the theft of more than 45 million TJX credit card accounts stolen over a two-year period.
Yastremskiy's arrest was first reported in the The Wall Street Journal two weeks ago, although he was not linked to TJX until now. The Wall Street Journal report says a sealed indictment filed in U.S. federal court charges him with trafficking stolen credit cards and identity theft, and suggests that the recent arrest of others by French police may have aided U.S. investigators. Yastremskiy allegedly sold batches of TJX-linked credit cards online for as little as $20 per card.
U.S. authorities are now seeking extradition of Yastremskiy from Turkey.
As CNET's resident security expert, Robert Vamosi has been interviewed on the BBC, CNN, MSNBC, and other outlets to share his knowledge about the latest online threats and to offer advice on personal and corporate security. Listen to his podcast at securitybites.cnet.com or e-mail Robert with your questions and comments.
