Russian hacker avoids jail over $10 million cyber theft
A Russian man was given a five-year suspended sentence on Tuesday for stealing $10 million from a former division of the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Yevgeny Anikin, 27, was part of an international hacking ring that hacked into the account information of World Pay customers and raised their maximum withdrawal limit before taking money out of cash points across Europe, Asia and the U.S.
In his final comments to the court in Novosibirsk on Monday, the hacker pleaded guilty to stealing $10 million in 2008 and appealed to the judge for leniency. He said he had already started to pay back the stolen money.
"I want to say that I repent and fully admit my guilt," Anikin told the court.
The Royal Bank of Scotland sold World Pay off last year.
Anikin, who has been under house arrest since 2009, bought two apartments in Novosibirsk as well as a luxury car.
Another member of the hacking ring was sentenced to six years in jail in September 2010.
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