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On November 3, 2023, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Ekaterina Zhdanova, a citizen of Russia, for her role in laundering and moving funds using virtual currency on behalf of Russian elites. Three bitcoin addresses belonging to Ždanova have been added to the list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDN).
The Media Release With the tag Zhdanova, it is described in detail how in March 2022 she helped a Russian client transfer over $2.3 million to Western Europe through a fraudulently opened investment account and the purchase of real estate. Furthermore, the press release highlights how Ždanova used virtual assets to facilitate cross-border transactions, using entities such as Garantex, crypto exchange itself approved by OFAC in April 2022 due to its association with ransomware gangs and dark net drug markets.
Zhdanova also provided services to individuals associated with ransomware, laundering over $2.3 million in suspected payments to victims on behalf of an affiliate working with the Ryuk ransomware group.
How we can help
Elliptic clients can now screen crypto transactions and explore addresses under the control of this sanctioned actor.
To learn more about how to stay safe, you can download our report, Cryptocurrency Sanctions Compliance 2023
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