Wanted: US puts $2.5 million on Angler hacker

WASHINGTON, Aug 27 — The United States on Monday offered a reward of up to US$2.5 million (RM10.9 million) for information leading to the arrest of a member of a decade-long international computer hacking operation.

Volodymyr Kadariya, 38, a dual citizen of Belarus and Ukraine, was charged in June 2023 in New Jersey with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit computer fraud.

Kadariya is said to be an accomplice of Maksim Silnikau, 38, who also has Belarusian and Ukrainian citizenship. He was extradited from Poland to the United States last month.

Silnikau, who used the nicknames “JP Morgan,” “xxx,” “lansky” and others online, faces computer hacking, identity theft and other charges in New Jersey and Virginia.

Kadariya and Silnikau are accused of distributing the infamous Angler Exploit Kit, which was used to infect the computers of millions of unsuspecting Internet users between October 2013 and March 2022.

Prosecutors say Angler enabled cybercriminals to distribute malware by exploiting vulnerabilities in Internet browsers and plug-ins.

These included “scareware” ads or “malvertising”: fake messages claiming that a victim’s device was infected with a virus that encouraged them to purchase or download dangerous software.

The malware could provide remote access to the device or give hackers access to personal identification or financial information.

The reward of up to $2.5 million for information leading to Kadariya’s arrest is being offered through the U.S. State Department’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program. — AFP