The U.S. government on Thursday charged two Russian nationals and sanctioned a virtual currency exchange in an effort to crack down on transnational cybercrime involving cryptocurrency.<\/p>\n
The departments of Justice, State and Treasury announced the coordinated effort against Russian nationals Timur Shakhmametov and Sergey Ivanov as well Cryptex, a virtual currency exchange accused of servicing Russia-based cyber criminals.<\/p>\n
The U.S. is sanctioning Ivanov and Cryptex, according to a release<\/a> from the Treasury Department, while the Justice Department said<\/a> Shakhmametov and Ivanov have both been charged with conspiracy to commit and aid and abet bank fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.<\/p>\n Shakhmametov is accused of operating an online marketplace for stolen credit card data called Joker\u2019s Stash, while Ivanov is accused of laundering proceeds from Joker\u2019s Stash and other platforms since 2005, the Justice Department said, citing the U.S. Secret Service. <\/p>\n The Department of State is offering<\/a> a $10 million reward for information that leads to Shakhmametov and Ivanov\u2019s arrest. <\/p>\n