The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Wednesday that Nikita Andreevich Sklyuev, also known as Valeriy Dorojkin, has been extradited from Ukraine and arraigned in Buffalo, NY, on charges of wire fraud and fraudulent use of an unauthorized access device. Sklyuev is accused of submitting a malicious cryptocurrency wallet app, “EOSIO Wallet Explorer,” to the Apple App Store in June 2018. The app claimed to be a legitimate cryptocurrency wallet but was designed to steal users’ private keys, granting Sklyuev access to their funds. In September 2018, a victim in Western New York installed the app, losing control of approximately $11.8 million in cryptocurrency. Sklyuev later transferred these funds to various online wallets under his control. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sklyuev is being held pending a detention hearing on July 3, 2024. The extradition was facilitated by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs with Romanian and Ukrainian authorities.
Malicious Crypto Wallet App Submitted to Apple Store Leads to Fraud Charges
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