A Brooklyn man has pleaded guilty to running an unlicensed money transmission business to launder the proceeds from a malware attack that successfully pilfered $1.2 million from customer bank accounts.

According to court filings, the scheme involved sophisticated malware, which co-conspirators used to obtain unlawful access to victims’ bank accounts. The illegally obtained funds were then transferred via wire to the bank accounts of a network of individuals within the United States who, in turn, further transmitted the money, or portions of the money, either to additional US-based intermediaries or directly overseas.

As part of this scheme, Brooklyn-based Vyacheslav Khaimov received over $230,000 in funds fraudulently withdrawn from at least eight bank account takeover victims via wire transfers and cashier’s cheques from a network of intermediary 'mules'.

To date, the FBI has identified over $1.2 million in losses attributable to the malware scheme and more than $6 million in attempted losses.

FBI assistant director-in-charge Sweeney says: “Modern-day bank robbers no longer need a gunman and a getaway driver. Today, they just need a malware operator and money mules to carry out their crime from anywhere in the world."