Leo Kuvayev

## Introduction

From his Spamhaus record:
Russian/American spammer, a spin-off or occasional partner with Alan Ralsky, Igabromiv, Lindsay and also the P/A/Y gang.
Does "OEM CD" pirated software spam, child and animal porn spam, porn payment collection, pharma/pills, phishing, and others. Does his own DNS, possibly does DNS for other spammers. Buys bulletproof hosting wherever he can get it. Noted for enormous numbers of domains (bogus registration info, of course), often rotating every three hours in the spam to avoid URIBL filters. Mails via proxies using the usual spamwares, sometimes from his own (leased) servers. Noted for having "fresh" peas, meaning he is very close to the botnet masters collecting new, unlisted, zombie IPs. Was part of Sun Network spamhaus on MCI, gets BP hosting in Brazil, China, Russia, etc.
Some of his programs include:
* BadCow
* TaiwanMedia
* Pharmacy Express
* Your Online Pharmacy

Spamhaus suggests he could be the "Pharmamaster" spammer who DDoS'd the Blue Security company.
His Wikipedia entry links him with the Storm Botnet.

## Criminal Record

### Prosected in Massachusetts 2005

On **May 11, 2005**, Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly filed a lawsuit against Leo Kuvayev and six accomplices, accusing them of sending millions of spam e-mails to peddle counterfeit drugs, pirated software, fake watches, and pornography. Kuvayev, a 38-year-old native of Russia who uses the nickname BadCow, is one of the world's top three spammers, according to anti-spam group Spamhaus. State officials allege that Kuvayev and his associates used a number of web-hosting services from the U.S. and around the world to launch attacks. Kuvayev was charged with violating the federal CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, which requires that unsolicited commercial e-mail be accurate and honest.

Massachusetts was able to go after Kuvayev because he listed a Massachusetts address on his driver's license and conducted business using a Boston Post Office box. On **Oct. 11, 2005**, after none of the defendants appeared to answer the charges, a Superior Court judge issued a default judgment against them. The judge found the spammers in violation of state and federal consumer protection laws and ordered a permanent shutdown of dozens of illegal Web sites. Kuvayev and his co-defendants were ordered to pay $37 million in civil penalties for sending nearly 150,000 illegal e-mails.

### Arrested for child rape of orphans, 2010

In **August 2010**, an anonymous blogger alleged that this Leo Kuvayev is the same Leonid Aleksandorovich Kuvayev (Леонида Александровича Куваева) jailed in Moscow on 50 counts of raping children from an orphanage. Independent reporter Brian Krebs, formerly a technology columnist for the Washington Post, confirmed numerous details.

```
Sources in the United States and Russia said that Kuvayev, who holds dual Russian-American
citizenship, was alleged to have molested more than 50 young girls he had lured away from one or
more local orphanages. He was brought in for questioning after one of the girls reported the
incident to Russian police, who reportedly found videotaped evidence of the incidents.

Brandon A. Montgomery, a spokesman for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division at
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, confirmed that Kuvayev was indicted on Aug. 3, 2009, and
arrested on Sept. 15 in Moscow for child molestation charges.

```

In **May 2011**, he appeared in court on multiple charges of pedophilia and rape.

**May 30, 2011** ( Translated from http://www.ntv.ru/novosti/230048/ )

Today the criminal case against spammer Leonid Kuvayev commenced in the Savyolovsky Moscow court. This time they charge one of the most dangerous organizers of spam distribution with pedophilia and rape.

The pupils of orphanages and boarding schools became Kuvayev's victims over a period of 2 years. In all there was a total of 60 incidents. The details of the case come from NTV correspondent Eugenia Golovanov.

Handcuffs, lash, erotic lingerie - this set of toys for sexual pleasures were seized during a search in Kuvayev's office. According to investigators, he used this set of adult games on children.

As it turned out, he persuaded girls aged 13 to 18 years to have sexual relations. All were from children's orphanages, boarding schools and had mental problems. Kuvayev was hunting them, walking near the school.

Selecting a victim, the suspect offered money or a ride in a car. These road trips always ended the same way - in the office of the suspect in Chapayevsk lane.

Leonid Kuvaeva is suspected of raping at least 10 girls. All of them are now giving incriminating testimony. In general, in the case of harassment and corruption of minors featured 60 episodes.

Until recently the 38-year old Russian programmer was known as a "spam king." In the U.S., where he emigrated 10 years ago, Kuvayev organized several companies engaged in the illegal distribution of advertising, fake watches, medications like Generic Viagra, pornography and questionable services firms, including online casinos.

Kuvayev decided to hide from American justice at home, in Russia. Back in Moscow, he opened a few cafes, realtor firms and Internet companies. After some time, their activities became of interest to law enforcement. Then Kuvayev was accused of organizing the supply of counterfeit and unlicensed medicines.

But in the course of the investigation crimes of a completely different character surfaced. Now, under the national judicial machinery quite different charges have befallen him.

The case was initiated by six articles of the Criminal Code. They all relate to sexual offenses against minors. Now Kuvayev has been arrested and awaits trial.

**March 29 2012**

Kuvayev was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. Reference http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c32/378562.html

MOSCOW, March 29 (Itar-Tass) —— The Moscow City Court sentenced to 20 years in prison spammer Leonid Kuvayev, who was found guilty of paedophilia on Thursday.

Judge Alexander Zamashnyuk pronounced the court verdict on Thursday based on the jury ruling that found Kuvayev guilty of 33 out of 35 criminal episodes by a majority of votes.

## Sponsoring Registrars

Leo Kuvayev's operation selects registrars who are slow to act on complaints. Typical choices are in the People's Republic of China

* Name.com (2011)
* Beijing Innovative Linkage Technology (2009)
* Xin Net (2009)

Though it has proven difficult to get registrars to revoke domains, the China Internet Society is active in identifying IP ranges used by Kuvayev, and blackholing them on request.