Pierluigi Paganini
July 19, 2023
A gang of more than 100 individuals used fake social network accounts to conduct disinformation and psychological operations in support of the Russian government and its narrative on the invasion of Ukraine.
The gang used a massive bot farm to distribute illegal content, personal data of Ukrainian citizens and commit frauds.
The Cyber Police Department of the National Police of Ukraine dismantled the massive bot farm used by the group after 21 searches at Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia and Lviv.
The cyber police discovered that the group used special equipment and software to register thousands of bot accounts in multiple social networks.
“Criminal proceedings have been opened under Art. 361 (Unauthorized interference in the work of information (automated), electronic communication, information and communication systems, electronic communication networks), Art. 361-2 (Unauthorized sale or distribution of information with limited access, which is stored in electronic computing machines (computers), automated systems, computer networks or on media of such information), Art. 190 (Fraud), Art. 259 (Knownly false notification of a threat to the safety of citizens, destruction or damage to property) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Investigations are ongoing.” reads the announcement published by the Ukraine’s Cyber Police.
The police seized computer equipment, mobile phones, more than 250 GSM gateways and about 150,000 SIM cards of various mobile operators.
In August 2022, the Ukrainian cyber police (SSU) dismantled a massive bot farm composed of 1,000,000 bots that was spreading disinformation and Russian propaganda through social networks.
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