Dark Web Data Dealer Gets 40 Months for Massive Breach

Georgy Kavzharadze, aged 27, was sentenced to 40 months in prison for selling the credentials of over 300,000 users on Slilpp, the largest darknet marketplace for stolen credentials. The platform was shut down in June 2021 following an international law enforcement operation.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Kavzharadze, known by the aliases “TeRorPP,” “Torqovec,” and “PlutuSS,” actively sold financial and other personal information on Slilpp from July 2016 to May 2021. Over this period, Kavzharadze listed more than 626,000 stolen credentials for sale, which were subsequently linked to fraudulent transactions amounting to approximately $1.2 million. Cybercriminals used the acquired data to steal funds from the victims’ bank accounts.

The U.S. Department of Justice noted that by late May 2021, Kavzharadze was selling around 240,000 accounts on Slilpp, granting access to steal money from victims’ accounts, including those in New York, California, Nevada, and Georgia. All transactions for the sale of data were conducted exclusively in Bitcoin. Kavzharadze withdrew over $200,000 in Bitcoin from the sales to his accounts, which became key evidence in the case.

In August 2021, Kavzharadze was charged with conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, bank fraud, fraud involving access devices, and aggravated identity theft. A few months later, Kavzharadze was extradited to the United States, where he stood trial in May 2022. Nearly two years later, in February 2024, Kavzharadze pleaded guilty to his involvement with Slilpp and conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud.

The Slilpp platform, operating since 2012, was notorious as the largest marketplace for stolen credentials. Malefactors used it to sell and purchase credentials for bank accounts, online payment systems, e-commerce platforms, and other online services.

Before its closure, Slilpp hosted data from over 80 million accounts belonging to 1,400 different companies, many of which are renowned globally.