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The FBI is warning that scammers are impersonating the BianLian ransomware gang using fake ransom notes sent to U.S. corporate executives.<\/p>\n
The fake ransom notes, first reported<\/a> by U.S. cybersecurity company GuidePoint Security, claim that hackers have gained access to an organization\u2019s network to steal sensitive data, and threaten to publish the stolen data unless a ransom demand is paid.\u00a0<\/p>\n The scammers are demanding between $250,000 and $500,000, according to the FBI<\/a>, which says the letter includes a QR code linked to a Bitcoin wallet. The notes have a return address to an office building in Boston, Massachusetts, and claim to be from the BianLian ransomware gang.<\/p>\n The Russia-linked BianLian gang was the subject of a CISA alert<\/a> in November last year, which warned that the group had targeted multiple U.S. critical infrastructure sectors since June 2022. <\/p>\n It\u2019s not known how many individuals have been targeted by this scam, and the FBI hasn\u2019t named any known victims. Cybersecurity firm Arctic Wolf reports<\/a> that the letters have primarily been sent to executives in the U.S. healthcare sector.\u00a0<\/p>\n The FBI says it has not identified any connections between the individuals sending the ransom notes and BianLian.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n