Case 055: Alexander Kalinin | The Hacker Who Cracked Corporate America

He didn’t just hack a few accounts.He cracked the walls of corporate America — and left hundreds of millions in losses behind.In this episode of Fugitive Files, we expose the story of Alexander Sergeevich Kalinin, a Russian national and alleged cybercriminal accused of leading one of the largest data breaches in U.S. history.According to the U.S. Department of Justice and Secret Service, Kalinin was part of a sophisticated hacking ring that infiltrated the systems of major corporations, stealing more than 160 million credit and debit card numbers. The result? An estimated $300 million in financial losses for banks, businesses, and consumers.Kalinin allegedly targeted retail giants, payment processors, and financial institutions using advanced SQL injection attacks, malware, and phishing tools. He and his co-conspirators sold the stolen data on the dark web, enabling a massive wave of fraud around the globe.He is charged with:Conspiracy to commit wire fraudUnauthorized access to protected computersWire fraud and identity theftConspiracy to commit access device fraudDespite multiple arrests within the hacker ring, Kalinin remains at large, believed to be in Russia — well beyond the reach of U.S. extradition.This isn’t just a cybercrime case.It’s a blueprint for how invisible actors can devastate the global financial system.This is Fugitive Files. Let’s get into it.