US Offers $2.5M Reward For Fugitive Malware Scammer Who Infected Millions of Computers

The U.S. State Department is offering a $2.5 million reward for help capturing a Belarusian fugitive accused of infecting the computers of millions of internet users with malware.

Volodymyr Kadaria, 38, allegedly took part in a scheme to distribute a program known as the Angler Exploit Kit and other malware through fraudulent online ads from October 2013 through March 2022, the State Department said Monday.

The cyberscam allegedly allowed Kadaria and others to profit by selling access to the compromised computers and by using information from the devices to log into victims' bank accounts and steal their savings, according to the Justice Department.

The Angler Exploit Kit was described by computer giant Cisco Systems' Talos Intelligence Group in 2015 as "the most advanced and concerning" of its kind, with the potential to generate more than $60 million in ill-gotten gains a year.

An indictment unsealed in New Jersey earlier this month charged Kadaria with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and related offenses that carry a maximum sentence of 77 years in prison.

The charges were announced the same day a codefendant, Maksim Silnikau, 38, was extradited from Poland to face prosecution in New Jersey and Virginia.