Teenager from Hrodna Suspected of Developing Trojan to Steal Money from Bank Accounts
Reform.news Editorial Team · 24 October 2026, 13:18
https://reform.news/en/teenager-from-hrodna-suspected-of-developing-trojan-to-steal-money-from-bank-accounts/A 17-year-old resident of Hrodna has been detained in Belarus on suspicion of developing malware for Android. According to the Interior Ministry, the Trojan was used to steal money from citizens’ bank accounts, the ministry reported. More than 120 victims have been identified, with total losses amounting to approximately 150,000 rubles in equivalent value.
The teenager was identified by officers from the Brest Region cybercrime unit in cooperation with investigators. The ministry said the young man had developed the Mamont Trojan at the request of an acquaintance. The malware was distributed via Telegram disguised as files with names such as “you’re in the photo” and “car accident video,” along with other lures designed to persuade users to open the attachments.
The program could bypass smartphone security mechanisms, steal SMS messages, collect information about installed applications and transmit the data to remote servers. This information was used to steal money from bank accounts.
Investigators have opened a criminal case under the article covering the development, use, distribution or sale of malicious computer programs.