It’s a sign of the times. The FBI has now pinpointed the 10 most wanted cybercriminals and the bureau is urging you to be part o of the solution.
A statement on its website reads: "Protect your family, your local community and the nation by helping the FBI catch wanted terrorists and fugitives. Rewards are offered in some cases."
These are the 10 people the FBI is most keen to track down.
ALEXSEY BELAN
Computer Intrusion; Aggravated Identity Theft; Fraud in Connection With a Computer.
REWARD: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest of Alexsey Belan.
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Between January of 2012, and April of 2013, Alexsey Belan is alleged to have intruded the computer networks of three major United States-based e-commerce companies in Nevada and California. He is alleged to have stolen their user databases which he then exported and made readily accessible on his server. Belan allegedly stole the user data and the encrypted passwords of millions of accounts and then negotiated the sales of the databases.
Two separate federal arrest warrants for Belan have been issued. One was issued on September 12, 2012, in the United States District Court, District of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada, after Belan was charged with obtaining information by computer from a protected computer; possession of fifteen or more unauthorised access devices; and aggravated identity theft. The second warrant was issued on June 6, 2013, in the United States District Court, Northern District of California, San Francisco, California, after Belan was charged with two counts of fraud in connection with a computer and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
ALEXANDR SERGEYEVICH BOBNEV
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
REWARD: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Alexandr Sergeyevich Bobnev.
Alexandr Sergeyevich Bobnev was indicted in the Southern District of New York on November 26, 2008, on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Bobnev was indicted for his alleged participation in a money laundering scheme involving unauthorised access to the accounts of a major provider of investment services. Bobnev allegedly accessed compromised accounts and wire transferred funds out of these accounts to money mules in the United States. These mules were then responsible for transferring the money back to Bobnev. Between June of 2007 and August of 2007, Bobnev allegedly wired or attempted to wire over $350,000 from compromised accounts.
ANDREY NABILEVICH TAAME
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; Conspiracy to Commit Computer-Related Fraud (Computer Intrusion); Wire Fraud; Computer Intrusion.
REWARD: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Andrey Nabilevich Taame.
Andrey Nabilevich Taame is wanted for his alleged involvement in the unauthorised infection of malware on over 4 million computers located in more than 100 countries, which includes at least 500,000 victims in the United States, from approximately 2007 to October of 2011. This malware changed the infected computers’ Domain Name System (DNS) settings so that the infected computers did not connect to the user’s Internet Service Provider’s (ISP) server, but instead connected to fraudulent servers that Taame’s co-conspirators controlled. These fraudulent servers then converted the domain names to the wrong IP addresses and redirected the infected computer to websites the user of the infected computer did not intend to visit.
This allowed Taame to hijack Internet traffic for the purpose of online advertising fraud. Using the malware, the Internet traffic was re-routed from websites with which they had no commercial relationship to websites that paid them for online visitors, thus depriving legitimate advertisers of revenue. The malware also prevented the infected computers from obtaining antivirus software updates, leaving them vulnerable to other cyber attacks.
A federal arrest warrant was issued for Taame in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, on October 13, 2011, after he was charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; Conspiracy to Commit Computer-Related Fraud (Computer Intrusion); Wire Fraud; and Computer Intrusion.
ARTEM SEMENOV
Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud; Conspiracy to Possess False Identification Documents; False Use of Passport.
REWARD: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Artem Semenov.
Artem Semenov is wanted for his alleged participation in an Eastern European cyber crime ring, operating out of New York, which is known for recruiting money mules to open bank accounts, cashing out money received through unauthorized money transfers, and then transferring the money overseas. An arrest warrant was issued for Semenov in the Southern District of New York on September 29, 2010, after he was charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud; conspiracy to possess false identification documents; and false use of passport.
BJORN DANIEL SUNDIN
Wire Fraud; Conspiracy to Commit Computer Fraud; Computer Fraud.
REWARD: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Bjorn Daniel Sundin.
Bjorn Daniel Sundin, along with his co-conspirator, Shaileshkumar P. Jain, is wanted for his alleged involvement in an international cybercrime scheme that caused internet users in more than 60 countries to purchase more than one million bogus software products, resulting in consumer loss of more than $100 million. It is alleged that from December 2006 to October 2008, through fake advertisements placed on legitimate companies’ websites, Sundin and his accomplices deceived internet users into believing that their computers were infected with "malware" or had other critical errors in order to encourage them to purchase "scareware" software products that had limited or no ability to remedy the purported defects.
Sundin and his co-conspirators allegedly deceived victims, through browser hijacking, multiple fraudulent scans and false error messages, into purchasing full paid versions of software products offered by their company, Innovative Marketing, Inc. The proceeds of these credit card sales were allegedly deposited into bank accounts controlled by the defendant and others around the world, and were then transferred to bank accounts located in Europe. When customers complained that their purchases were actually fraudulent software, call center representatives were allegedly instructed to lie or provide refunds in order to prevent fraud reports to law enforcement or credit companies.
On May 26, 2010, Sundin was indicted in Chicago, Illinois, by a federal grand jury for the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois. He was indicted for wire fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud and computer fraud. That same day, a federal warrant was issued for Sundin’s arrest.
CARLOS ENRIQUE PEREZ-MELARA
REWARD: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Carlos Enrique Perez-Melara.
Carlos Enrique Perez-Melara is wanted for his alleged involvement in manufacturing spyware which was used to intercept the private communications of hundreds, if not thousands, of victims. As part of the scheme, Perez-Melara ran a website offering customers a way to "catch a cheating lover" by sending spyware masqueraded as an electronic greeting card. Victims who opened the greeting card would unwittingly install a program onto their computers. The programme collected keystrokes and other incoming and outgoing electronic communications on the victims’ computers. The programme would periodically send e-mail messages back to the purchasers of the service containing the acquired communications, including the victims’ passwords, lists of visited websites, intercepted e-mail messages, and keystroke logs. The program in question was initially called "Email PI" and renamed "Lover Spy" in July/August 2003. Perez-Melara allegedly hosted the website, as well as created the computer program. He ran the operation from his San Diego residence in 2003.
An arrest warrant was issued for Perez-Melara in the Southern District of California on July 21, 2005, after he was charged with the following crimes: manufacturing a surreptitious interception device; sending a surreptitious interception device; advertising a surreptitious interception device; unlawfully intercepting electronic communications; disclosing unlawfully intercepted electronic communications; unauthorised access to protected computer for financial gain; and aiding and abetting.
FARHAN UL ARSHAD
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; Conspiracy to Gain Unauthorised Access to Computers; Wire Fraud; Unauthorised Access to Computers
REWARD: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Farhan Ul Arshad.
Farhan Ul Arshad is wanted for his alleged involvement in an international telecommunications scheme that defrauded unsuspecting individuals, companies, and government entities, to include large telecom companies, in both the United States and abroad. Between November of 2008 and April of 2012, Farhan Ul Arshad is alleged to have compromised computer systems and conducted the scheme which ultimately defrauded victims of amounts in excess of $50 million. The international scheme involved members of a criminal organisation that extended into Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Spain, Singapore, Italy, and Malaysia, among other nations.
On June 29, 2012, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Farhan Ul Arshad in the United States District Court, District of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, after he was indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; Conspiracy to Gain Unauthorised Access to Computers; Wire Fraud; and Unauthorised Access to Computers.
NOOR AZIZ UDDIN
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; Conspiracy to Gain Unauthorised Access to Computers; Wire Fraud; Unauthorised Access to Computers; Identity Theft.
REWARD: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Noor Aziz Uddin.
Noor Aziz Uddin is wanted for his alleged involvement in an international telecommunications scheme that defrauded unsuspecting individuals, companies, and government entities, to include large telecom companies, in both the United States and abroad. Between November of 2008 and April of 2012, Noor Aziz Uddin is alleged to have compromised computer systems and conducted the scheme which ultimately defrauded victims of amounts in excess of $50 million. The international scheme involved members of a criminal organisation that extended into Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Spain, Singapore, Italy, and Malaysia, among other nations.
On June 29, 2012, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Noor Aziz Uddin in the United States District Court, District of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, after he was indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; Conspiracy to Gain Unauthorised Access to Computers; Wire Fraud; Unauthorised Access to Computers; and Identity Theft.
PETERIS SAHUROVS
Wire Fraud; Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; Unauthorised Access to a Protected Computer.
REWARD: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Peteris Sahurovs.
Peteris Sahurovs is wanted for his alleged involvement in an international cybercrime scheme that took place from February of 2010 to September of 2010. The scheme utilised a computer virus that involved the online sale of fraudulent computer security programs that defrauded Internet users of more than $2 million.
It is alleged that in February of 2010, Sahurovs contacted an online newspaper claiming to work for an online advertising agency that represented a hotel chain that was seeking to place advertisements on the paper’s website. Sahurovs utilised fraudulent references and bank accounts to deceive the newspaper into believing he represented a legitimate advertising agency.
Sahurovs provided electronic files containing the fictitious hotel advertisements to the newspaper, which began running the advertisements on its website. He then replaced the hotel advertisements with a file containing a malicious computer code, or malware, which infected the computers of people who visited the website and required them to purchase antivirus software for $49.95 to regain control of their computers. If the users did not purchase the software, their computers immediately became inundated with pop-ups containing fraudulent "security alerts," and all information, data and files stored on the computers became inaccessible.
Sahurovs allegedly conducted the same fraudulent advertising and infection scheme against numerous online businesses.
On May 17, 2011, Sahurovs was indicted by a Federal Grand Jury in the United States District Court, District of Minnesota, for wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and unauthorised access to a protected computer. The same day, a federal warrant was issued for Sahurovs’ arrest.
SHAILESHKUMAR P. JAIN
Wire Fraud; Conspiracy to Commit Computer Fraud; Computer Fraud.
REWARD: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Shaileshkumar P. Jain.
Shaileshkumar P. Jain, along with his co-conspirator, Bjorn Daniel Sundin, is wanted for his alleged involvement in an international cybercrime scheme that caused Internet users in more than 60 countries to purchase more than one million bogus software products, resulting in consumer loss of more than $100m. It is alleged that from December 2006 to October 2008, through fake advertisements placed on legitimate companies’ websites, Jain and his accomplices deceived Internet users into believing that their computers were infected with "malware" or had other critical errors in order to encourage them to purchase "scareware" software products that had limited or no ability to remedy the purported defects.
Jain and his co-conspirators allegedly deceived victims, through browser hijacking, multiple fraudulent scans and false error messages, into purchasing full paid versions of software products offered by their company, Innovative Marketing. The proceeds of these credit card sales were allegedly deposited into bank accounts controlled by the defendant and others around the world, and were then transferred to bank accounts located in Europe. When customers complained that their purchases were actually fraudulent software, call center representatives were allegedly instructed to lie or provide refunds in order to prevent fraud reports to law enforcement or credit companies.
On May 26, 2010, Jain was indicted in Chicago, Illinois, by a federal grand jury for the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois. He was indicted for wire fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud and computer fraud. That same day, a federal warrant was issued for Jain’s arrest.
