The Minsk Prosecutor’s Office has referred to court a criminal case against five extortionists who were involved in locking iPhones and demanding money for unlocking them. Two of the defendants are minors.
The defendants have been charged under Part 3 of Article 208, Part 3 of Article 172 and Part 2 of Article 350 of the Criminal Code, which provide for liability for the deliberate blocking of computer information and extortion committed for the purpose of obtaining substantial financial gain. Two of the adult defendants are also charged with involving a person known to be a minor in criminal activity.
According to investigators, one of the suspects created a private Telegram channel called “Loki 911”, which contained instructions on how to lock Apple iPhone devices in order to later obtain money from device owners in exchange for unlocking them.
Other members of the group used fake accounts to communicate with smartphone owners in various channels, persuading them to switch to accounts provided by the “lockers”. After that, the suspects blocked the victims’ devices and subsequently demanded payment for unlocking them.
The group operated for six months, from October 2024 to May 2025. At least 50 people were affected by the scheme.
“As a result of the defendants’ criminal activities, an attempt was made to cause losses totaling more than 23,000 Belarusian rubles, while actual damages amounted to approximately 2,000 Belarusian rubles,” the prosecutor’s office said.