Moscow man accused of posing as FSB officer to extort Conti ransomware gang
TL;DR
A Moscow man is accused of impersonating an FSB officer to extort money from the Conti ransomware gang, claiming he could shield them from prosecution. He was detained in 2025 after the scheme started in 2022.
Source: The Record
A Moscow resident has been accused of trying to extort money from the notorious Conti ransomware group by posing as an officer of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), according to local media reports. RBC, citing sources familiar with the investigation, reported this week that the suspect, Ruslan Satuchin, allegedly presented himself as an FSB officer and demanded a large payment from Conti members in exchange for avoiding criminal prosecution. The scheme allegedly began in Sep. 2022, when Satuchin contacted one of Conti’s members and claimed to have influence over law enforcement activities targeting the group, the sources said. Satuchin is being held in pre-trial detention in Moscow after a criminal case was formally opened in Sep. 2025. Full Story