United States authorities have identified Dmitry Khoroshev, a Russian national, as the main perpetrator of the notorious LockBit ransomware gang. A $10 million reward has been set for information that could lead to his capture.
According to the released indictment, Khoroshev, 31, is accused of having developed, promoted and managed the LockBit malicious software, recruiting “affiliates” on cybercrime forums to carry out attacks, which resulted in the payment of ransoms often in Bitcoin (BTC).
Khoroshev, who reportedly kept 20% of the profits made by his affiliates, saw LockBit grow into one of the most used ransomware tools globally from its creation in 2019 until the recent shutdown of its infrastructure by a global consortium of law enforcement agencies . Over this period, LockBit’s affiliate network is estimated to have attacked approximately 2,500 victims, including 1,800 in the United States, and extorted approximately $500 million in ransoms.
Prosecutors also claim that Khoroshev accumulated around $100 million in Bitcoin from LockBit operations and now faces a request from US authorities to confiscate these illicit assets. Additionally, he has been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which prohibits any US citizen from transacting with him, including future victims of LockBit ransomware attacks.
Amid these accusations, Khoroshev remains at large. In an interview with The Record in March, he stated that he continues to operate LockBit. In addition to him, five other members of the group were accused of participating in the criminal operation, with at least one of them, Mikhail Vasiliev, a dual Russian-Canadian citizen, having already been sentenced to prison.
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Source: https://portalcripto.com.br/eua-anunciam-acusacao-contra-lider-do-ransomware-lockbit-e-oferecem-recompensa-milionaria/
