State Department offers up to $2.5 million for info on Belarus hacker

The State Department announced Monday a reward of up to $2.5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Belarusian hacker Volodymyr Kadariya.

“Kadariya is charged with cybercrime offenses associated with an alleged scheme to transmit the Angler Exploit Kit (AEK), other malware, and online scams to the computers of millions of unsuspecting Internet users through online advertisements,” according to a department press release.

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

The reward, under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program, comes after Kadariya was indicted in the District of New Jersey on June 14, 2023. The indictment accuses Kadariya of conspiring to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud, and two counts of substantive wire fraud.