FBI’s top 10 most wanted cybercriminals

The FBI’s list of the most wanted cybercriminals includes 27 individuals, as cybercrime becomes an increasingly important topic in our global discourse. With repeated attacks on businesses, regular citizens and government entities, it’s become more important than ever to weed out organized cybercrime. These 10 individuals are some of the most wanted cybercriminals to date, but with each passing year, as cybercrime continues to grow, so does the FBI’s most wanted list.

Bjorn Daniel Sundin is wanted by the FBI for involvement in an international cybercrime scheme that duped victims into purchasing over one million copies of “bogus software products.” The FBI estimates the scheme drained more than $100 million from targets, dating as far back as 2006. Sundin and his accomplices used browser hijacking, fake scans and error messages to convince unsuspecting internet users to purchase the phony software. Sundin is from Sweden, with ties to the Ukraine – he’s 5’10”, 136 pounds with red hair and hazel eyes.

Reward: The FBI is offering up to $20,000 for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Sundin.

Shaileshkumar P. Jain is Sundin’s co-conspirator, charged with the same crimes as Sundin. Both Sundin and Jain were indicted in Chicago, IL by a federal grand jury no wire fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud and computer fraud. Just like Sundin, Jain is accused of scamming internet users out of money with fake software, depositing the money into various bank accounts around the world, eventually landing in a European bank. Jain is Indian with black hair and brown eyes, he’s 5’8” and weighs around 175 pounds, according to the FBI.

Reward: For any information that leads to the arrest or conviction of Jain, the FBI is offering up to $20,000.

Peteris Sahurovs is wanted by the FBI for involvement in an international cybercrime scheme conducted between February and September of 2010. It’s estimated Sahurovs drained more than $2 million from unsuspecting victims by selling fraudulent security programs. The FBI alleges that Sahurvos conducted his scheme by placing advertisements on an online newspaper by posing as a legitimate ad agency. He sent false advertisements, switching the content once they went live to direct users to a different link selling his fake antivirus software. Sahurovs is potentially in Rezekne, Latvia or Kiev, Ukraine, and is known to use the aliases “piotrek,” “piotrek89,” and “sagade.”

Reward: The FBI is offering up to $50,000 for any information that leads to the arrest or conviction of Sahurovs.

Alexsey Belan is wanted by the FBI for crimes allegedly committed against major ecommerce companies in Nevada and California between 2012 and 2013. The FBI alleges that Belan stole user databases to gain access to account information and passwords; then once he got what he needed, he sold the data. Even more recently, Belan has been charged in connection to the Yahoo hack, one of the largest security hacks in U.S. history, compromising over 500 million accounts. He’s Latvian, speaks Russia and may be residing in Russia, Greece, Latvia, the Maldives or Thailand. His known aliases include Magg, M4G, Moy.Yawik, and Abyrvaig and the FBI also notes he may wear glasses and has been known to dye his naturally brown hair either red or blonde; he was last known to be in Athens, Greece.

Reward: For any information leading to Belan’s arrest, the FBI is offering up to $100,000.

Nicolae Popescu, also known by the aliases “Nae” and “Stoichitoiu,” is wanted for his alleged involvement in a “sophisticated Internet fraud scheme,” according to the FBI. Popescu is alleged to have posted ads on online auction sites for items that didn’t exist, complete with fraudulent invoices from “legitimate online payment services.” Popescu’s conspirators in the United States also used fake passports to open bank accounts under false identities so that victims could wire them money. Once the money was wired from the victims, it was withdrawn and sent to other conspirators with instructions sent via email. Popescu has been on the FBI’s radar since 2012, when a federal arrest warrant was issued for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, Passport Fraud and Trafficking in Counterfeit Service Marks. According to the FBI website, Popescu speaks Romanian and may have traveled to Europe.

Reward: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $1 million for any information leading to the arrest of Nicolae Popescu.

Farhan Ul Arshad is wanted by the FBI for involvement in an “international telecommunications scheme” that targeted individuals, companies and government entities. The scheme took place between November of 2008 and April of 2012, costing victims more than $50 million. It extended beyond Arshad to include members of a large-scale criminal organization spanning from Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Spain, Singapore, Italy and Malaysia, with the FBI noting more nations are possibly involved. Arshad is 5’10”, 170 pounds and was last seen in Malaysia, but the FBI states he “may also travel to the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom or Pakistan.

Reward: There is a reward of up to $50,000 for any information that leads to the arrest of Arshad.

Noor Aziz Uddin is wanted by the FBI on the same crimes as Arshad; the FBI alleges that Arshad was involved in the same international scam that targeted telecom companies, government entities and individuals. He’s been indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Gain Unauthorized Access to Computers, Wire Fraud and Identity Theft. Uddin is 5’10”, 170 pounds and was last seen in Saudi Arabia, but may travel to the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Malaysia and Pakistan.

Reward: For any information leading to the arrest of Uddin, the FBI is offering up to $50,000.

Sun Kailiang is one of five members of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and has been charged with 31 criminal counts, according to the FBI. Charges include conspiring to commit computer fraud, accessing a computer without authorization for financial gain, damaging computers via code and commands, aggravated identity theft, economic espionage and theft of trade secrets. Along with other officers of the PRC’s Third Department of the General Staff Department of the People’s Liberation Army, Kailiang provided his expertise to help access the networks of various American companies that were involved with “negotiations or joint ventures or were pursuing legal action with, or against, state-owned enterprises in China.” Beyond that, he’s accused of helping to steal private information and trading secrets involving nuclear plant designs, controlling victim’s computers and sending malicious emails.

Reward: The FBI isn’t offering a reward for any information regarding Kailiang, but you can give any tips to your local FBI office, an American Embassy or consulate.

Huang Zhenyu is another member of the PLA of the PRC and is wanted on the same counts as Kailiang — aggravated identity theft, damaging computers, economic espionage and theft of trade secrets, among others. Like Kailiang, Zhenyu was a part of a conspiracy to obtain information and data from American companies that were in talks with or had legal action with companies in China. Once he gained access into their networks, Zhenyu used his expertise to access email exchanges, nuclear plant plans and other proprietary information.

Reward: The FBI isn’t offering a reward for any information regarding Zhenyu, but you can send any tips to your local FBI office, an American Embassy or Consulate.

Wen Xinyu is another member of the PLA of the PRC, wanted on the same 31 criminal counts as on the FBI’s list. His aliases included “WenXYHappy,” “Win_XY,” and “Lao Wen.” Wen is alleged to have controlled victims’ computers in an attempt to assist with conspiracies to gain information on numerous American companies. Like the others accused on the list, Xinyu was recruited for his specific technological skills and ability to gain illegal access to corporate networks.

Reward: The FBI isn’t offering an award for information on Xinyu, but you can submit tips to the FBI, American Embassy or Consulate.