A $1 million bounty has been placed on the head of Russian hacker, Tim Vakhaevich Stigal.
The U.S. Department of State offered the reward through its Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Programme for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of the Russian hacker.
Stigal is wanted for his involvement in transnational organized crime.
According to the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Stigal has been linked to significant computer intrusions targeting U.S. businesses since 2011.
His activities include the theft of payment card data, which he allegedly monetized for personal gain, a statement from the Office of the Spokesperson, U.S. Department of State said on Thursday.
On January 17, 2024, the Department of Justice unsealed an indictment charging Stigal with participating in four separate conspiracies to traffic stolen payment card information from customers of at least three U.S. corporations between April 2014 and March 2016.
One of these conspiracies involved extortion, where Stigal allegedly threatened to compromise stolen personal data if a ransom was not paid. Stigal faces multiple charges, including wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, computer fraud extortion, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
He is now listed on the USSS Most Wanted Fugitive page.
This reward offer, authorized by the Secretary of State, aims to support global law enforcement efforts to combat transnational crime and bring fugitives to justice.
The statement said anyone with information on Stigal should contact the USSS at [email protected], visit the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate if abroad, or contact the local USSS office in the U.S.
