"Using these identities, IT workers obtained employment using online freelance work platforms in California and Pennsylvania, which allowed them to create free accounts, advertise themselves, and bid on IT work contracts. The court documents also allege that Didenko paid individuals in the US to host laptop farms at residences in Virginia, Tennessee, and California. He allegedly managed 871 proxy identities and supported the operation of at least three laptop farms."
"On May 16, 2024, the Upworksell.com domain was seized, and Didenko was arrested in Poland. He was extradited to the US on December 31, 2024. In November 2025, he pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft and agreed to forfeit more than $1.4 million. Didenko was sentenced to 60 months in prison and 12 months of supervised release and ordered to pay more than $46,000 in restitution."
Oleksandr Didenko, 29, of Kyiv operated the Upworksell.com domain to sell or rent stolen U.S. identities to overseas IT workers. Those identities enabled workers to obtain freelance employment on U.S. platforms, create accounts, advertise services, and bid on contracts for companies in California and Pennsylvania. Didenko paid U.S.-based hosts to run laptop farms in Virginia, Tennessee, and California, managed 871 proxy identities, and supported at least three laptop farms. Clients earned hundreds of thousands of dollars working for about 40 U.S. companies. Authorities seized the domain, arrested and extradited Didenko, and he pleaded guilty and received sentencing and forfeiture.
Read at SecurityWeek
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]