Justice Department Announces Actions To Combat Two Russian State-Sponsored Cyber Criminal Hacking Groups

The Justice Department announced two indictments in the Central District of California charging Ukrainian national Victoria Eduardovna Dubranova, 33, also known as Vika, Tory, and SovaSonya, for her role in conducting cyberattacks and computer intrusions against critical infrastructure and other victims around the world, in support of Russia’s geopolitical interests. Dubranova was extradited to the United States earlier this year on an indictment charging her for her actions supporting CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn (CARR). Today, Dubranova was arraigned on a second indictment charging her for her actions supporting NoName057(16) (NoName). Dubranova pleaded not guilty in both cases, and is scheduled to begin trial in the NoName matter on Feb. 3, 2026 and in the CARR matter on April 7, 2026.

As described in the indictments, the Russian government backed CARR and NoName by providing, among other things, financial support. CARR used this financial support to access various cybercriminal services, including subscriptions to distributed denial of service-for-hire services. NoName was a state-sanctioned project administered in part by an information technology organization established by order of the President of Russia in October 2018 that developed, along with other co-conspirators, NoName’s proprietary distributed denial of service (DDoS) program.

“Today’s actions demonstrate the Department’s commitment to disrupting malicious Russian cyber activity — whether conducted directly by state actors or their criminal proxies — aimed at furthering Russia’s geopolitical interests,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “We remain steadfast in defending essential services, including food and water systems Americans rely on each day, and holding accountable those who seek to undermine them.” 

You can read the rest of the announcement via he below link:

Office of Public Affairs | Justice Department Announces Actions to Combat Two Russian State-Sponsored Cyber Criminal Hacking Groups | United States Department of Justice

Two Philly Holiday Spectacular Performances This Weekend

Philly Daily, where my Crime Beat appears each week, reports that it’s not the holidays until the “Pops” Deck the Halls!

 

“Join us this December for not just one, but two performances of A Philly Holiday Spectacular,” announced the Philly Pops “Conducted by our newly appointed Music Director, Chris Dragon, your Philly Pops will take the stage to perform all of your holly jolly holiday favorites. Alongside them will be returning vocalists Nikki Renée Daniels & Jeff Kready, who absolutely brought the house down last year."

 

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:  

Two Philly Holiday Spectacular Performances This Weekend - Philly Daily  

Feds Warn Of Holiday Identity Theft, Online Shopping Scams, And Charity Fraud

Philly Daily ran my Crime Beat column on the Feds warnings about holiday scams.

You can read the column via the link below or the text below:

Davis: Feds warn of holiday identity theft, online shopping scams, and charity fraud - Philly Daily  

It’s a sad commentary, but during the holiday season, when most of us are thinking of family and friends and of goodness and joy, there are heartless crooks looking to take advantage of one’s goodness by scamming them. 

On December 3rd at a Security Summit, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that the 10th National Tax Security Awareness Week hopes to raise awareness about tax-related identity theft and scams as the holidays and the upcoming tax season approach.

The Security Summit is a coalition of the IRS, state tax administrators, tax software companies, the tax professional community and others in the larger tax community, organized to combat tax-related identity theft through a public-private sector partnership that strengthened internal protections and raised awareness about security threats.

“With the holiday shopping season underway and tax season quickly approaching, we are urging taxpayers and tax professionals to take extra steps to protect their financial and tax information,” said IRS CEO Frank Bisignano. “During this holiday season, people face the heightened risk of identity theft as criminals ramp up efforts to trick people into sharing sensitive personal information: identity thieves might use this information to try filing false tax returns and stealing refunds.”

The IRS stated that the work of the Security Summit is to strengthen internal systems and share information across the tax system about fraudsters continues to show results. Since its inception, the work of the Security Summit has helped protect millions of taxpayers against identity theft and prevented billions of dollars from being wrongly paid out to fraudsters.

The IRS stated that the work of the Security Summit is to strengthen internal systems and share information across the tax system about fraudsters continues to show results. Since its inception, the work of the Security Summit has helped protect millions of taxpayers against identity theft and prevented billions of dollars from being wrongly paid out to fraudsters.

As the IRS and the Summit partners have strengthened their systems, identity thieves have increasingly turned their attention to stealing underlying tax and financial information from taxpayers, businesses, and tax professionals in hopes of slipping authentic-looking tax returns through the defenses. 

“There has been an increase of these activities on social media, including inaccurate tax advice that continues to mislead taxpayers. To help counter this, many of the Security Summit partners have joined together to form the Coalition Against Scam and Scheme Threats. This group will be increasingly active during the upcoming tax season,” the IRS stated.

 “A key tool in identifying and defending against these identity theft scams is the Identity Theft Information Sharing and Analysis Center, which was developed by the IRS and Security Summit partners to better identify and coordinate against fraudsters. As the group has strengthened defenses inside the tax system to spot emerging scams, identity thieves continue to look for new ways to obtain sensitive personal financial information to file fraudulent tax returns, making tax professionals and the sensitive tax information of their clients a target for scam artists.”

The IRS and Security Summit partners want taxpayers, tax professionals and businesses to be extra aware during the upcoming holiday season for the threats listed below.

• 
  Social media scams: Bad tax advice on social media can mislead taxpayers about their credit or refund eligibility. Influencers may convince taxpayers to lie on tax forms or suggest the IRS is keeping a tax credit secret from them. Social media posts may put taxpayers in touch with scammers.
• Phishing and smishing: The IRS frequently warns against phishing emails and smishing texts, which are common tactics used by criminals to steal personal and financial information. The impersonator wants taxpayers to send them money. Opening links and attachments may harm their computer.
• Protection for seniors: Scammers target people over age 65 or nearing retirement for personal or financial information or money. Often, once seniors give them money, they ask for more. When scammers trick them to withdraw from their retirement account, it could affect their taxes.
• Protection for businesses and tax professionals: The IRS reminds tax professionals of their legal obligation to have a Written Information Security Plan and to use multi-factor authentication. Businesses are also advised to update their security measures and remain vigilant against cyberattacks.
• Identity Protection PIN: An identity protection PIN is a six-digit number that prevents someone else from filing a tax return using a taxpayers Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number. If taxpayers don't already have an IP PIN, they may get an IP PIN as a proactive step to protect themselves from tax-related identity theft. Anyone with an SSN or an ITIN can get an IP PIN including individuals living abroad.                                             

·         The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also issued warnings about holiday scams.

·       “Scammers are everywhere online – especially on social media,” the FTC stated. “They sometimes impersonate real companies and run ads for brand-name products at unusually low prices. But if you click the link in the ad, it could send you to a “scammy” website designed to take your money in exchange for a counterfeit item, something that looks completely different from the picture in the ad, or nothing at all.”

·         When you’re shopping online, the FTC stated, here are some ways to protect yourself during the holidays and year-round:

• Do some research. Before you buy, search online for the seller’s name and the website URL the ad sends you to, plus words like “review,” “complaint,” or “scam” to see what others have to say.
• Pay by credit card, when possible. If you’re charged twice, billed for something you never got, or get a wrong or damaged item, you can dispute the charge with your credit card company. And if the seller says you can only pay with a gift card, wire transfer, payment app, or cryptocurrency, it’s probably a scam.
• Keep records. If something goes wrong, having your receipt and order confirmation number can help you get your money back from the seller. Also, sellers have to ship your order by the time they or their ads say they will — or give you the chance to get your money back.

If you think you were scammed, file a report with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

The FBI field office in Philadelphia notes that the holidays are underway, and with charitable giving and online shopping surging, the FBI reminds communities to stay alert for schemes designed to steal your money and personal information.

“The holiday season is a time to bring people together, but scammers are working to separate you from your money and personal information,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Whether you are shopping, connecting with loved ones, or looking to give back, there are small, but important steps everyone can take to better protect themselves online: if you didn’t call them, don’t tell them—never share personal or banking information on an unsolicited call; If the link is a mystery, the risk isn’t — don’t click unrequested links; use secure payment methods; and verify charitable organizations before donating. If you have any doubt, reach out—call the FBI at 1800-CALL-FBI or report it at IC3.gov.

“If a deal you find this holiday season seems a little too good to be true, it probably is.”

Some of the most common holiday shopping scams reported to the FBI include:

• 
  Non-delivery scams, where you, as a buyer, pay for goods or services you find online, but you never receive your items.
• Non-payment scams, where you, as a seller, ship purchased goods or services, but you never receive payment for them.
• Gift card fraud, where a seller asks you to pay with a pre-paid card.

The FBI Philadelphia field office also reminds the public of the charity fraud scams criminals deploy this time of year to cash in on your kindness.

“Charity fraud schemes seek donations for organizations that do little or no work—instead your charitable donation goes to the fake charity’s creator. Scammers can contact you in many forms, from e-mails, text messages, cold calls and social media,” the FBI stated.

Twas A Crime Before Christmas: My Interview With Santa

As Christmas approaches, I'd like to once again offer my short story, Twas a Crime Before Christmas. 

Twas a Crime Before Christmas: My Interview with Santa Claus

 By Paul Davis

As a newspaper crime reporter and columnist, I was compelled to look into a report of a burglary of an unemployed construction worker on Christmas Eve in South Philadelphia.

The burglar or burglars broke into the home early on the morning of the 24th. They stole the family’s TV and other household goods. They also took a dozen or so wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree that were intended for the family’s two children.

I interviewed the victim, who was so devastated by the burglary that he could hardly speak. I also spoke to a detective who said he presently had no leads on the case, but he planned to keep working it. I also spoke to a local priest who told me that the church was collecting donations for the poor family.

Lastly, I spoke to a man of great wisdom and experience. The jolly old fella was kind enough to pause during his special night out to talk to me about crime.

I interviewed Santa Claus as he was packing up his sleigh and getting ready to head off on his magical trip, bringing toys and goodies to good children around the world.

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow and the beard on his chin was white as snow. His eyes twinkled and his dimples were merry. His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry. He looked like a candidate for a heart attack.

And he smoked. The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth and the smoke encircled his head like a wreath (the Surgeon General would not approve). He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot (PETA would not approve) and his clothes were tarnished with ashes and soot (Mrs. Santa would not approve). With a lumpy sack over his shoulder, he looked like a homeless person.

I asked Santa Claus if the public’s fear of crime had changed how he did his job.

“The increased use of car and home burglar alarms makes my journey tougher, I must say,” Santa told me. “As you know, my miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer make such a clatter, they set off every car alarm on the block.”

Santa also said that home burglar alarms has made his surreptitious entry, via the fireplace, most difficult. When he slides down the chimney, he sets off alarms, which wakes the household and brings the police. 

Santa went on to say that the alarms ruin the surprise for the children, and he is often detained by the responding police officers, who demand identification and administer alcohol tests.

Fortunately, Santa looks like a right jolly old elf, so the police officers have to laugh, in spite of themselves. A wink of his eye and a twist of his head give the people who thought they were being robbed the knowledge that they had nothing to dread.

“I once had my sleigh and reindeer stolen while I was in a home setting up the toys, and I must admit that I paused to enjoy the milk and cookies that a child left me,” Santa said. “But with some kindly police officer’s help, I was able to recover the sleigh and reindeer rather quickly. You see my lead reindeer has a bright red nose and we were able to spot him from about three blocks away.”

Santa said his brush with crime made him understand why families were installing burglar alarms and why they were more concerned about a strange old fat man in red entering their home in the middle of the night. He told me that he was looking into some kind of security system for his sleigh as well.

I asked him about the burglary that occurred that morning in South Philly and he replied he was well aware of the sad incident.

“I plan to visit the house tonight on my rounds and with a little magic I’ll leave them some special gifts under their tree,” Santa explained. “I also did a little investigative work to find the crooks, as I have powers the police lack."

Santa said he discovered who the crooks were, and he tipped the police off. He also plans to leave the crooks lumps of coal in their stockings, which will be hung with care in the local jail.

“Don’t they know I’m watching?” Santa asked.” I know when they have been naughty or good. My surveillance techniques are finer than the FBI’s.”

“This should be a joyful time of year as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ,” Santa said. “This should be a time of love, charity and good cheer.”

The interview concluded, he sprang to his sleigh and to his team gave a whistle and away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight, “Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!”

Note: With apologies to Clement C. Moore, I offer my best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all. 

© 2009 Paul Davis 

Operation Gatekeeper: U.S. Authorities Shut Down Major China-Linked AI Tech Smuggling Network

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

Two businessmen are now in custody for allegedly violating U.S. export control and smuggling laws. As part of the overall investigation, a Houston company and its owner also pleaded guilty to smuggling cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology out of the United States, and the United States has seized over $50 million in Nvidia technologies and cash.

“Operation Gatekeeper has exposed a sophisticated smuggling network that threatens our Nation’s security by funneling cutting-edge AI technology to those who would use it against American interests,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “These chips are the building blocks of AI superiority and are integral to modern military applications. The country that controls these chips will control AI technology; the country that controls AI technology will control the future. The Southern District of Texas will aggressively prosecute anyone who attempts to compromise America’s technological edge.”

“Gong and his accomplices allegedly led a complex scheme to smuggle high-performance graphic processing units to China in violation of U.S. export laws,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “This case highlights the importance of interagency cooperation to protect U.S. technology; the FBI, alongside our partners, will continue to aggressively investigate these violations and bring those responsible to justice. We ask our private sector partners to remain vigilant to this increasing threat as our adversaries try to match U.S. artificial intelligence breakthroughs.”

According to court documents, Alan Hao Hsu, also known as Haochun Hsu, 43, of Missouri City, Texas, and his company, Hao Global LLC, both pleaded guilty to smuggling and unlawful export activities on Oct. 10, 2025. According to now unsealed court documents, between October 2024 and May 2025, Hsu and others knowingly exported and attempted to export at least $160 million worth of export-controlled Nvidia H100 and H200 Tensor Core graphic processing units (GPUs). 

The H100 and H200 are high-speed GPUs used for AI applications and high-performance computing. They are designed to process massive amounts of data, advancing generative AI and large language models and accelerating scientific computing. These GPUs are used for both civilian and military applications.

Hsu and others falsified shipping paperwork, misclassifying the true nature of the goods and their recipients to conceal the ultimate destination of the GPUs. Hsu and Hao Global received more than $50 million in wire transfers that originated from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to help fund the scheme. The GPUs were ultimately shipped to the PRC, Hong Kong and other destinations in violation of U.S. export laws.

At sentencing, Hsu faces up to 10 years in prison on Feb. 18, and Hao Global LLC faces a maximum penalty of twice the gross gain from the offense and a term of probation.

Also charged in relation to the scheme are two PRC natives. Benlin Yuan, 58, the chief executive officer of a Sterling, Virginia, IT services company, which is the U.S. subsidiary of a large PRC IT company based in Beijing, was arrested in Sterling, Virginia, on Nov. 28 and charged with conspiring to violation the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA) of 2018. Yuan is a Canadian citizen who resides in Mississauga, Ontario.

Fanyue Gong, also known as Tom Gong, 43, a PRC citizen who resides in Brooklyn, New York, is the owner of a New York technology company and was arrested in New York on Dec. 3. Gong was charged with conspiring to smuggle goods out of the United States.

According to charging documents, Gong and Yuan also independently conspired with employees of a Hong Kong-based logistics company and a China-based AI technology company to circumvent U.S. export controls.

The criminal complaint against Gong alleges that co-conspirators obtained Nvidia GPUs through straw purchasers and intermediaries, falsely indicating that the goods were for U.S. customers or customers in third countries that do not require a license to export. The GPUs were shipped to multiple U.S. warehouses where individuals who worked for Gong removed Nvidia labels and re-labeled the GPUs with the name “SANDKYAN” – a fake company – and then prepared the goods for export at his direction. The shipping and export paperwork for the GPUs allegedly misclassified the goods as generic computer parts. The charges allege co-conspirators then shipped the goods or attempted to do so to the PRC and Hong Kong in violation of U.S. laws.

According to the complaint, Yuan helped recruit and organize individuals to inspect the mislabeled GPUs on behalf of the Hong Kong logistics company. Yuan allegedly agreed to direct inspectors not to say the goods were destined for the PRC. The government also alleges Yuan directed discussions regarding crafting a story his company could use to get GPUs and other equipment released after federal law authorities detained it. Yuan allegedly engaged in several conversations about providing false information to U.S. authorities regarding the ultimate customer of the goods.

As alleged, Yuan also participated in and agreed to direct actions involving the handling and storage of another export of Nvidia GPUs on behalf of the Hong Kong logistics company.

If convicted, Yuan faces up to 20 years in prison for conspiring to violate ECRA and up to a $1 million fine. If convicted, Gong faces up to 10 years in prison for conspiring to smuggle goods out of the United States.

Hsu was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing. Yuan and Gong are currently in custody pending further criminal proceedings.

The Commerce Department’s BIS Office of Export Enforcement Dallas Field Office, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Dallas, and FBI New York and Washington Field Offices are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Marck and Mark McIntyre for the Southern District of Texas and Trial Attorney Fatema Merchant of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance provided by Trial Attorney Yifei Zheng, also from the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

Wanamaker Light Show & Dickens Village Returns For Holiday Season

Philly Daily, where my Crime Beat column appears weekly, reports that the Wanamaker Light Show and Dickens Village, based on Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. has returned for the 2025 holiday season. 

You can read about the Wanamaker Light Show and the Dickens Village via the link below:

Wanamaker Light Show & Dickens Village Returns for Holiday Season - Philly Daily

FBI: Don’t Let Scammers Ruin Your Holiday Season

 The FBI released the information below:

As scammers increasingly use pressure tactics and artificial intelligence to defraud Americans out of their hard-earned money, the FBI is reminding everyone to protect themselves and their families from fraud this holiday season.

"If you feel pressured to act fast, pay money, or turn over personal information—take a beat. Stop and assess if what you're being told is real. Talk to your families. Protect each other from scams," said FBI Director Kash Patel. "Scammers are banking on the fact that you'll feel too embarrassed to come forward and report the crime to the FBI. Don't let them win."

The FBI specifically encourages Americans to talk to their loved ones about not sharing sensitive information with people they have met only online or over the phone. They also should not send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other assets.

Cyber-enabled fraud dominates the scam landscape, accelerated by artificial intelligence (AI). In the first seven months of 2025, AI accounted for more than 9,000 complaints to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), and those AI complaints spanned all types of scams. Fraudsters use technology to create fake social media profiles, voice clones, identification documents, and videos with believable depictions of public figures or even loved ones. Fraudulent or suspicious activity can be reported to the FBI at ic3.gov. Tipsters should include information such as:

•  identifying information about the person or company which contacted them
• methods of communication used, to include websites, emails, and phone numbers
• financial transaction information, such as the date, type of payment, amount, account numbers involved, the name and address of the receiving financial institution, and receiving cryptocurrency addresses
• description of the interaction with the fraudster

The IC3 received 535,314 complaints reporting $13.7 billion in losses last year, an average loss of $25,700 per victim. Between 2020 and 2024, a total of $50.5 billion in losses were reported to IC3. People over 60 suffered the most losses and submitted the most complaints. Victims over 60 who need assistance filing an IC3 complaint can contact the DOJ Elder Justice Hotline, 1-833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311). Learn more about scam prevention at fbi.gov/takeabeat.