Europol says a reward offered for information on two members of the Qilin ransomware group is fake.
Several news websites reported in recent days that Europol is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information on “two primary administrators” of the ransomware gang.
The message, reportedly posted on a Telegram channel run by Europol, says the suspects, known online as Haise and XORacle, coordinate affiliates and oversee extortion activities.
Europol told SecurityWeek that it’s a “scam” and the message does not come from the law enforcement agency.
Europol has official accounts on Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Bluesky, YouTube and Facebook, but it does not have a Telegram channel.
Qilin, aka Agenda, is a highly active ransomware group that has been around since 2022. This year, the cybercriminals named more than 400 victims on their leak website, including Lee Enterprises.
One of its most recent victims is pharma company Inotiv, which this week informed authorities about a ransomware attack. Inotiv has not shared any information on who was behind the attack, but Qilin named the company on its website, claiming to have stolen 176 Gb of data.
It’s not uncommon for cybercrime groups to make false claims about their competitors. Fake announcements can help a group damage a competitor’s reputation and steal the competitor’s affiliates. Such tactics can also be used to create distrust and paranoia within the targeted gang.
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