A prolific social media fraudster who exploited the encrypted social media platform Telegram in a series of long-running crimes was sentenced to three years in jail at Croydon Crown Court for fraud by false representation, supply of items for use in fraud, and possession of articles for use in fraud.
Ramzan Abubakarov, aged 21, of Hendon in North London, had pled not guilty to all charges but was found guilty of 10 offences on 9 December 2022.
Abubakarov used an encrypted social media platform to commit fraud and coordinate with thousands of other crooks.
He was discovered to have coordinated fraudulent actions on his Telegram channel and to have created the web portal “iChop.it” for cybercriminals. A thorough forensic analysis of devices found by the Metropolitan Police led to the discovery of compromised personal and financial data of more than 30,000 victims, custom phishing kits of various UK and international banks and more than one million UK and international mobile numbers.
“iChop.it” was a marketplace for other hackers to buy and sell hacked personal and financial data.
He marketed and posted proof of engaging in different frauds, such as making bogus HMRC tax return claims and getting unauthorized access to the bank accounts of unsuspecting members of the public.
Abubakarov was responsible for a financial loss totaling more than £1.9 million in victims’ money by selling these tools to other criminals.
Abubakarov was detained in November 2021, and a variety of equipment, including laptops and phones, were taken from his home address.