FEDERAL authorities are offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification of a Russian cyber group responsible for compromising thousands of Signal and WhatsApp accounts, primarily targeting US government officials and journalists. The operation, active since at least March, involves phishing campaigns where attackers impersonate automated support messages to trick users into linking their accounts, potentially giving attackers access to messages.
The FBI has linked the activity to two Russian groups, UNC5792 and UNC4221, associated with Russian intelligence. Warnings have been issued to messenger users, emphasizing that legitimate support services will not request sensitive information via links or messages. The campaign has already compromised a significant number of accounts, highlighting the ongoing threat of phishing.