Alleged 'scareware' hacker detained in USA

An alleged leader of a notorious decade-long international computer hacking operation is in US custody after being extradited from Poland, US officials said.

Maksim Silnikau, 38, a dual-national of Belarus and Ukraine, appeared before a magistrate judge in Newark, New Jersey on Monday and was ordered detained, the Justice Department said.

Silnikau, who used the online monikers "J.P. Morgan," "xxx," "lansky" and others, faces computer hacking, identity theft and other charges in New Jersey and Virginia, it said in a statement.

"For over a decade, the defendant used a host of online disguises and a network of fraudulent ad campaigns to spread ransomware and scam US businesses and consumers," Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said.

Also charged in New Jersey in an indictment unsealed on Monday are two alleged co-conspirators -- Volodymyr Kadariya, 38, a dual Belarussian and Ukrainian national, and Andrei Tarasov, 33, a Russian citizen.

Silnikau is accused in New Jersey with distribution of the notorious Angler Exploit Kit used to infect the computers of millions of unsuspecting internet users between October 2013 and March 2022.

According to prosecutors, Angler allowed cybercriminals to deliver malware by exploiting vulnerabilities in internet browsers and plug-ins.

These included "scareware" ads, or "malvertising" -- false messages claiming a victim's device had been infected with a virus that tricked them into buying or downloading dangerous software.

The malware would provide remote access to the device or give hackers access to personal identifying or financial information.

In Virginia, Silnikau is accused of creating the Ransom Cartel ransomware strain in 2021 which allowed hackers to encrypt or "lock" compromised computers.

Ransom Cartel ransomware was allegedly deployed against a New York-based company in November 2021 and a California-based firm in March 2022.

Confidential data was removed and the hackers demanded a ransom.

Silnikau is charged in New Jersey and Virginia with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud, identity theft and other offenses and faces decades in prison if convicted.

According to Britain's National Crime Agency, he was arrested by Spain's Guardia Civil at an apartment in Estepona, Spain on July 18, 2023 in an international operation coordinated by the NCA.

He was extradited from Poland to the United States on Friday.