November 2, 2025
Pinged by ICQ, cuffed by FBI
Alleged Jabber Zeus Coder 'MrICQ' in U.S. Custody
Hacker coder nabbed after Italian trip; commenters roast the travel risk and praise the pics
TLDR: Alleged Jabber Zeus coder Yuriy “MrICQ” Rybtsov was arrested in Italy and extradited to the U.S., landing in Nebraska custody. Commenters mocked his risky travel, swapped true‑crime links, and cheered investigators, turning a complex cybercrime saga into a meme-filled takedown of hubris and long-awaited accountability.
The internet had a field day as alleged coder "MrICQ" for Jabber Zeus lands in U.S. custody after an Italian arrest. Commenters turned it into a roast of vacation choices: "just casually deciding to do a little international traveling" became the mood. Armchair psychologists debated whether years on the run push fugitives into risky decisions just to end the suspense. Others dropped true‑crime lore, including a BBC podcast, connecting this saga to the wider world of organized cyber gangs. Photo appreciation broke out too: "included photos are glorious," with memes riffing on ICQ’s nostalgic uh‑oh ping summoning the FBI.
Tech‑savvy voices translated the heist mechanics for everyone: a banking trojan (malware that steals logins) plus a sneaky "man‑in‑the‑browser" trick that quietly snatches whatever you type, followed by money mules moving cash like a relay team. Several cheered investigator Lawrence Baldwin and myNetWatchman for infiltrating the gang’s chat server, while others side‑eyed how it still took years to reel in everyone. There’s debate over whether indictments naming online handles like MrICQ slowed extradition, and if flying through Italy was reckless or inevitable. The overall vibe: equal parts schadenfreude, true‑crime binge, and sympathy for small businesses that lost big. And yes, someone asked if lockedup[.]wtf is the most 2025 way to confirm a mugshot.
Key Points
- •Yuriy Igorevich Rybtsov, known as “MrICQ,” was arrested in Italy and extradited to the U.S., now held in Nebraska under an FBI warrant.
- •A 2012 Nebraska indictment alleges Rybtsov was a developer for the Jabber Zeus group using a custom ZeuS banking trojan and Jabber messaging to steal from U.S. businesses.
- •Jabber Zeus conducted man-in-the-browser attacks, altered payrolls, and used money mules to transfer stolen funds to Ukraine and the UK.
- •The DOJ identified “John Doe #3” (MrICQ) as handling victim notifications and helping launder proceeds via electronic currency exchange services.
- •Constella Intelligence linked Rybtsov to a Donetsk address associated with Jabber Zeus leader Vyacheslav Penchukov, who was sentenced to 18 years and $73M restitution.