Cybercriminal gets $3M bounty placed on his head — most ever for someone accused of online crime

Last year, the US charged Russian hacker Evgeniy Bogachev as the mastermind behind a major cybercrime syndicate that raked in more than $100 million in stolen funds.

Despite knowing who he is and what he’s done, his whereabouts have been relatively unknown.

To expedite his arrest, the US has offered a $3 million reward for information on the hacker, the most ever offered for someone accused of an online crime.

Also known as “lucky12345” and “slavik”, Bogachev is accused of running the GameOver Zeus attack network, a system that is believed to have infected more than 100 million computers the world over. Victims of the virus were tricked into downloading his malware, which then searched the computer for financial information.

The GameOver Zeus Network has since been taken down by the FBI.

Among the charges Bogachev is facing: conspiracy, wire, bank, and computer fraud, and money laundering

“This reward offer reaffirms the commitment of the US government to bring those who participate in organized crime to justice, whether they hide online or overseas,” the US State Department said.

Joseph Demarest, head of the FBI’s cybercrime division, said that Russia’s internal security agency is interested in working with the US on cybercrimes, but that there is no link between their cooperation and the Bogachev case. 

He added that the agency is working on gathering information about 60 other cyber-threat groups that are linked to nation-states; no further details were given on these cases. 

Bogachev was last seen in Russia, where he is believed to still be leaving. This could prove problematic for American authorizes, as the country does not have an extradition treaty with Russia. 

Full Wanted poster below:

Via US Department of State