WASHINGTON (Chatnewstv.com) — The United States is offering rewards totaling up to $11 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of a Ukrainian cybercriminal and other ransomware leaders linked to attacks that targeted hundreds of victims worldwide.
The State Department said Tuesday it is offering up to $10 million under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program for information on Volodymyr Viktorovych Tymoshchuk, a Ukrainian national accused of deploying Nefilim, LockerGoga and MegaCortex ransomware variants.
A separate reward of up to $1 million is being offered for information on other key leaders of the same ransomware networks.
“Today’s announcement underscores our commitment to holding cybercriminals accountable, wherever they operate,” said Thomas “Tommy” Pigott, the State Department’s principal deputy spokesperson.
According to a superseding indictment unsealed in the Eastern District of New York, Tymoshchuk and his co-conspirators launched ransomware schemes from 2018 to 2021 that encrypted computer networks of hundreds of companies in the United States and abroad, demanding payments and causing heavy financial losses.
The move was announced in coordination with the Justice Department, FBI, Europol and authorities in Germany, France and Norway. Prosecutors said Tymoshchuk faces seven counts tied to ransomware activity but remains a fugitive.
The State Department urged anyone with information to contact the FBI through WhatsApp or Signal at +1-917-242-1407, or by email at TymoTips@fbi.gov
. All tips will be treated confidentially.
“By offering these rewards, we are sending a clear message: if you target U.S. victims with ransomware, we will pursue you across borders,” Pigott said.
