US authorities have accused a Russian hacker of masterminding a scam in which computers worldwide were infected with malware that enabled his gang to steal more than $100m (£60m).

Evgeniy Bogachev, who is not in custody, was the alleged ringleader of a gang from Russia, Ukraine and the UK who attacked hundreds of thousands of computers around the world.

Bogachev’s group used malicious software to steal passwords and account numbers, said officials at a press conference in Washington DC on Monday.

They allegedly deployed a highly sophisticated botnet known as GameOver Zeus, spread mainly through spam email or phishing messages, to capture bank credentials.

The gang allegedly used another malicious software, CryptoLocker, which disables a user’s computer until a ransom is paid.

CryptoLocker infected 200,000 computers and earned the gang $27m in payments, US officials said.

Bogachev is accused of conspiracy, wire, bank and computer fraud and money laundering