US Offers $10 Million Bounty for Russian Hackers Targeting Signal and WhatsApp Users
The US government is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of Russian state cyber groups responsible for compromising thousands of Signal and WhatsApp accounts. The targets include investigative journalists, current and former government officials, military personnel, and political figures. The operation has been active since at least March, when the FBI first publishes an advisory warning of ongoing phishing campaigns tied to Russian intelligence services.
The attackers disguise their messages as automated support communications, asking users to click links or provide verification codes and passcodes. When victims comply, the hackers link their own devices to the compromised accounts or take them over entirely, locking out the legitimate owners. While Signal's built-in protections prevent access to previous conversations in basic attacks, the campaign has evolved. Recent tactics trick users into creating encrypted backups and then handing over the passcode, giving attackers full access to past messages.
The FBI attributes the operation to two Russian government-linked groups tracked as UNC5792 and UNC4221. The campaign continues to grow in sophistication, with attackers exploiting trust in popular encrypted messaging platforms to reach individuals of high intelligence value. The substantial bounty reflects the seriousness of the threat and the government's urgency in identifying those responsible for the sprawling hacking spree.