After years of reading about 'Tank' and months of planning a visit to him in a Colorado prison, I hear the door click open before I see him walk into the room.
I stand up ready to give this former cyber-crime kingpin a professional hello. But, like a cheeky cartoon character, he pokes his head around a pillar with a giant grin on his face and winks.
Vyacheslav Penchukov, known as 'Tank', climbed to the top of the cyber underworld not solely with technical skills but also with a magnetic charm. I am a friendly guy, I make friends easily, the 39-year-old Ukrainian says, flashing a broad smile.
His ability to cultivate relationships, especially with influential figures, helped him evade the police for an extensive period. Penchukov spent nearly a decade on the FBI's Most Wanted list, leading various cybercrime gangs throughout his criminal career.
In a rare six-hour interview spanning two days for the podcast series "Cyber Hack: Evil Corp," Penchukov exposes the inner workings of the notorious cyber gangs he managed, along with insights about still-active hackers, including alleged leaders of sanctioned groups like Evil Corp.
Authorities finally arrested Penchukov in Switzerland in 2022 after over 15 years on the run. He recalled the intense operation: There were snipers on the roof... They put me on the ground right in front of my kids. Despite his imprisonment, he maintains an upbeat attitude, engaging in sports and working towards educational goals.
Penchukov's criminal endeavors began when he led the Jabber Zeus crew, exploiting cybersecurity gaps to rob small businesses and organizations, including charities. The gang's tactics resulted in over £4 million in losses across 600 victims in the UK alone.
After transitioning to ransomware attacks from 2018 to 2022, he recalls the lucrative nature of this new strategy, stating, Cyber-security had improved a lot, but we were able to make about $200,000 a month. One ransomware attack on a medical facility led to devastating consequences, illustrating the harm caused by his actions.
Throughout the interview, Penchukov expresses little remorse for his victims, stating that he did not view them as a concern at that time. Instead, he reflects on how trust among criminal associates often backfired, leading to his ultimate downfall.
The interview highlights the unique perspective of a man who navigated the extremes of the cybercrime world and the long-standing impacts of his actions on innocent people, as well as his stark relationship with those once involved in his criminal enterprises.
