$10 Million Bounty on ALPHV/BlackCat Leaders

The United States Department of State has announced a reward of up to $10 million for any information that leads to the identification and apprehension of the leaders of the cybercriminal group ALPHV/Blackcat, which specializes in cyber extortion and has attacked thousands of companies over the past few years.

An additional $5 million is offered for information about individuals who are considering joining Blackcat’s illicit activities. Experts believe this will deter potential participants, depriving the group of support.

As reported by the FBI, from November 2021 to March 2022, Blackcat carried out more than 60 hacks worldwide. By September 2023, more than $300 million in ransoms had been collected from over 1000 victims.

In its statement, the State Department promised that the reward would be paid for information leading to the location or identity of any of the key leaders behind the development and distribution of the ransomware ALPHV/Blackcat.

Payments will be made as part of an initiative to combat transnational organized crime. The department noted that since 1986, more than $135 million has been paid out under this program.

To securely submit information about Blackcat and other wanted criminals, the State Department has launched a special encrypted server, Tor SecureDrop, in the darknet. According to department officials, this will ensure the anonymity of informants.

Recently, U.S. authorities have intensified efforts to locate and arrest cybercriminals. In January, a similar reward of $10 million was announced for information on the leaders of the Hive group.

Previously, substantial sums were promised for information leading to those involved with Conti, REvil (Sodinokibi), Darkside, and other dangerous hacker communities. According to experts, such measures will at least complicate the lives of criminals and weaken their potential.