US offers $10M reward for info on Signal and WhatsApp hackers
▼ Summary
– The US government is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on a Russian cyber group that hacked Signal and WhatsApp accounts belonging to investigative reporters and US government employees.
– The operation has been active since at least March 2026, when the FBI warned of ongoing phishing campaigns linked to Russian intelligence services.
– Attackers send messages posing as automated support, tricking users into clicking a link or providing verification codes.
– If a user complies, their account is either linked to the attacker’s device or completely taken over, locking the user out.
Federal authorities have placed a $10 million bounty on information that leads to the identification or capture of a Russian state-sponsored cyber group responsible for compromising thousands of Signal and WhatsApp accounts. The victims include investigative journalists and employees of the U.S. government.
This hacking operation has been active since at least March, when the FBI issued a public advisory warning of targeted phishing campaigns linked to Russian intelligence services. Attackers impersonate automated support messages, urging users to click a link or share verification codes and account passcodes. If a victim complies, the attacker can link their own device to the victim’s account or fully take over the account, locking the legitimate user out completely.
(Source: Ars Technica)
