$10 Million Reward for Information on LockBit
United States Imposes Sanctions on Leader of Russian Ransomware Group and Offers Reward
The United States has unveiled the alleged leader of the LockBit ransomware group from Russia and is offering a reward of $10 million to anyone who can disclose key leaders of this hacker group.
Operating under the auspices of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev was named as the principal leader of the Russian LockBit group in today's announcement of sanctions. According to U.S. authorities, Khoroshev, also known by the pseudonym "LockBitSupp," had key involvement in enhancing and managing LockBit's operations. The U.S. Department of the Treasury also published a Bitcoin address associated with Khoroshev: bc1qvhnfknw852ephxyc5hm4q520zmvf9maphetc9z.
However, the vx-underground account, specializing in malware, reports that LockBit issued a statement to the FBI, which reads: "FBI is bluffing, I'm not Dimon, I regret the real Dimon, and he will get screwed for my sins."
Sanctions imposed by the United States also include a $10 million reward for anyone who can provide information leading to the disclosure of the identities of key LockBit leaders. The U.S. government is also offering $5 million for anyone who can contribute to the arrest of individuals associated with LockBit ransomware.
On the same day, the leader of the LockBit group was sanctioned by the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia as part of an international campaign led by the National Crime Agency (NCA) based in the UK.
Research into the activities of the LockBit group was conducted in cooperation between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. LockBit operates on a ransomware-as-a-service basis, generating revenue by providing ransomware tools to other cybercriminals and taking a commission from their activities.
According to U.S. authorities, the LockBit group has targeted over 2,500 victims worldwide and allegedly received over $500 million in ransom payments. Their targets include financial services, food and agriculture, education, emergency services, and healthcare.
In February of last year, 200 cryptocurrency addresses associated with LockBit were frozen, and its website was seized by authorities, including the FBI, Europol, and the National Crime Agency in the UK. However, the announcement of the leader of the LockBit group left users somewhat disappointed, as instead of specific information, it only contained an image of a cartoon cat and a car he purportedly used.
¹Ransomware is malicious computer software that infects computer systems or mobile devices, encrypts user data, and demands a ransom in exchange for unlocking or restoring it.
