Feds Put $2.5 Million Bounty on Belarusian Accused of Helping Scammers with ‘Angler Exploit Kit’

The US Department of State is offering a reward of up to $2.5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of a Belarusian national for his alleged participation in a significant malware organization.

A facilitator of online fraud

Volodymyr Kadariya is charged with offenses associated with an alleged multi-year scheme to “transmit” the Angler Exploit Kit (AEK), other malware, and online scams to the computers of millions of victims through malvertising and other tricks, according to the Department of State.

“At times during the scheme, the AEK was a leading vehicle through which cybercriminals delivered malware onto compromised electronic devices,” reads the press release.

On June 14, 2023, Kadariya was indicted in New Jersey with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud, and two counts of substantive wire fraud.

The feds are now offering up to $2.5 million to anyone, in any country, for information leading to Kadariya’s arrest or conviction.

Information related to the reward offer is available through the US Secret Service by email at [email protected]. If you are outside of the United States, you can contact the nearest US embassy or consulate.

Leveraging unpatched systems

For years, Angler was a leading exploit kit among cybercriminals seeking to distribute ransomware, banking Trojans and other fraud-focused malware.

Exploit kits often leverage vulnerabilities in the victim’s web browser and plugins. It’s one of the reasons why Bitdefender strongly recommends that netizens keep their software updated at all times. Staying up to date greatly reduces the attack surface for hackers, as most maintenance updates include important security fixes.

Google recently patched two actively exploited flaws in Chrome, making it imperative to update ASAP. Unpatched flaws in Google Chrome have also been used to deploy spyware in targeted attacks.

Use Bitdefender to keep scammers at bay

According to the Bitdefender 2024 Consumer Cybersecurity Assessment Report, netizens' biggest cybercrime fear is having their money stolen. Yet people generally avoid even the easy steps that could help keep fraudsters at bay.

Bitdefender recently published a straightforward guide on how to exercise good cybersecurity hygiene to combat the rising tide of scams targeting regular folk.

Read: Make It Hard for Scammers to Get You! Use These Seven Vital Tips.

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