SANCTIONS ALERT: Russian Crypto-Related Designations for US Election Interference

SANCTIONS UPDATE: On April 15, 2021, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned 16 individuals and 16 entities for attempting to undermine and influence the 2020 US presidential election. The sanctions list includes Russian officials, proxies, and intelligence agencies linked to the Internet Research Agency (IRA)—a Russian “troll farm” known to use cryptocurrencyA cryptocurrency (or crypto currency) is a digital asset des… More to fund influence operations around the world on behalf of Russian political interests.

Three of these sanctioned entities and one sanctioned individual were listed in OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals And Blocked Persons (SDN) List with associated digital currency addresses: the Association for Free Research and International Cooperation, SecondEye Solution, SouthFront, and Mujtaba Ali Raza.

Many of these sanctioned addresses are attributed to deposit addresses at regulated exchanges, including two popular off-shore exchanges and one US-based exchange.

ASSOCIATION FOR FREE RESEARCH AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION (a.k.a. “AFRIC”)

At the behest of Yevgeniy Prigozhin, Russian financier of the Internet Research Agency (IRA), the Association for Free Research and International Cooperation (AFRIC) facilitate malign operations in Africa and Europe while primarily operating out of Russia. According to OFAC, despite posing as an African-led initiative, AFRIC actually operations are to promote and disseminate Russian disinformation campaigns.

Russia; Email Address ; [UKRAINE-EO13661] [CYBER2] [ELECTION-EO13848] (Linked To: PRIGOZHIN, Yevgeniy Viktorovich).

• • Digital Currency Address – ZEC t1MMXtBrSp1XG38Lx9cePcNUCJj5vdWfUWL;
  • Digital Currency Address – DASH XyARKoupuArYtToA2S6yMdnoquDCDaBsaT

SECONDEYE SOLUTION (a.k.a. FORWARDERZ)

Second Eye Solution (SES) is a Pakistan-based organization that specializes in creating and selling fraudulent digital photographs of fake documents, including passports, driver’s licenses, bank statements, utility bills, and national identity documents. According to OFAC, SES has assisted the IRA in concealing its identity to evade sanctions through the creation of 15 fraudulent US driver licenses images. These fraudulent documents were paid for in cryptocurrency.

Karachi, Pakistan; Website secondeyesolution.su; alt. Website secondeyesolution.ch; alt. Website secondeyesolution.ru; alt. Website secondeyesolution.com; alt. Website forwarderz.com; alt. Website secondeyehost.com; Email Address ; alt. Email Address ; alt. Email Address ; alt. Email Address ; alt. Email Address ; alt. Email Address ; [CYBER2] [ELECTION-EO13848] (Linked To: INTERNET RESEARCH AGENCY LLC).

• • Digital Currency Address – XBT 1NE2NiGhhbkFPSEyNWwj7hKGhGDedBtSrQ;
  • alt. Digital Currency Address – XBT 19D8PHBjZH29uS1uPZ4m3sVyqqfF8UFG9o;
  • alt. Digital Currency Address – XBT 1EYitrwBYNWuTBcjZFbEUdqHppe2raLpaF;
  • alt. Digital Currency Address – XBT 1G9CKRHA3mx22DoT1QyNYrh85VSQ19Y1em;
  • alt. Digital Currency Address – XBT 182NGZbPJXwg2WDrhrPpR7tpiGQkNPF844;
  • alt. Digital Currency Address – XBT 1NayLEVF3bEEbDtdF2Cwso1VdEtvVNh2qX;
  • alt. Digital Currency Address – XBT 16PhXY3hNNMTo8kpuJx2emh713KbWpkqci;
  • alt. Digital Currency Address – XBT 1GqChmWqGtsaLrGbHfgdrV5Nkvahtjjuxr;
  • alt. Digital Currency Address – XBT 18Ke1QWE9nQfXuhJijHggZuPJ5ZYxapoBK;
  • alt. Digital Currency Address – XBT 1QJUiNsNfji6mR1FjAwf6Eg9NxxHPoxpWL;
  • alt. Digital Currency Address – XBT 1DtGgdCi9VPKz2Bpq8GQhUQEPnQ5HwaT9n;
  • Digital Currency Address – ETH 0x1da5821544e25c636c1417ba96ade4cf6d2f9b5a;
  • alt. Digital Currency Address – ETH 0x7Db418b5D567A4e0E8c59Ad71BE1FcE48f3E6107;
  • alt. Digital Currency Address – ETH 0x72a5843cc08275C8171E582972Aa4fDa8C397B2A;
  • alt. Digital Currency Address – ETH 0x7F19720A857F834887FC9A7bC0a0fBe7Fc7f8102;
  • Digital Currency Address – LTC LQAhYwwK5AR1JQiQPr7vu8Pu4b6qcxxvNB;
  • alt. Digital Currency Address – LTC LgwmgYnraU2uBWHVFUDgAmFCPYj5Yw8C9L;
  • alt. Digital Currency Address – LTC LeKvNdNEzgQkzVVnRdV3fAu2DSF1nLsNw6;
  • Digital Currency Address – BCH 18M8bJWMzWHDBMxoLqjHHAffdRy4SrzkfB

SOUTHFRONT (a.k.a. SOUTH FRONT; a.k.a. SOUTHFRONT: ANALYSIS & INTELLIGENCE)

SouthFront is an online disinformation site registered in Russia that receives taskings from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). While SouthFront is vague about where its administrators operate, its web content clearly attempts to appeal to US military enthusiasts, veterans, and conspiracy theorists. The site is still operational and accepts donations in cryptocurrency.

Russia; Website southfront.org; Organization Type: News agency activities; [NPWMD] [CYBER2] [ELECTION-EO13848] (Linked To: FEDERAL SECURITY SERVICE).

• • Digital Currency Address – XBT 3Gbs4rjcVUtQd8p3CiFUCxPLZwRqurezRZ;
  • Digital Currency Address – ETH 0x9f4cda013e354b8fc285bf4b9a60460cee7f7ea9;
  • Digital Currency Address – BCH qpf2cphc5dkuclkqur7lhj2yuqq9pk3hmukle77vhq

RAZA, Mujtaba Ali (a.k.a. LILANI, Mujtaba Ali; a.k.a. RAZA, Mujtaba)

Mujtaba Raza is a Pakistani National and owners and, as operator of Second Eye Solution, instrumental in processing payment for fraudulent identities for the IRA. SES profits were then laundered through four Pakistani front companies—Fresh Air Farm House, Like Wise, and MK Softtech—also operated by Raza.

Karachi, Pakistan; DOB 21 Oct 1987; nationality Pakistan; Email Address ; alt. Email Address ; Gender Male; National ID No. 4220104113771 (Pakistan) (individual) [CYBER2] [ELECTION-EO13848] (Linked To: SECONDEYE SOLUTION).

• • Digital Currency Address – XBT 1KSAbh5trMCTZwhiNsuUQvfTtSSTT8zqRk;
  • alt. Digital Currency Address – XBT 1BiUFjzH6wsT73U3tfy4aXHCQsYQHzjk5h;
  • Digital Currency Address – LTC LeKvNdNEzgQkzVVnRdV3fAu2DSF1nLsNw6;
  • Digital Currency Address – XVG DFFJhnQNZf8rf67tYnesPu7MuGUpYtzv7Z;

Source: https://ciphertrace.com/sanctions-alert-russian-crypto-related-designations-for-us-election-interference/