FBI Offers $10 Million Bounty For Chinese Hackers

The FBI is offering a $10 million reward for information about Chinese hackers from Salt Typhoon, responsible for cyberattacks on U.S. infrastructure.

The FBI has confirmed it is offering a $10 million reward for information about members of a Chinese hacking group called Salt Typhoon. This group is linked to China’s Ministry of State Security and has been responsible for several serious cyberattacks on U.S. targets.

Salt Typhoon, also known by other names like FamousSparrow, Ghost Emperor, and UNC2286, has attacked presidential campaign iPhones and exposed major weaknesses in U.S. telecommunications systems over the past six months, as previously reported by The Wall Street Journal.

The FBI says these hackers are behind a broad campaign to steal sensitive data, including call logs and private communications, from American companies and citizens.

In their public alert, the FBI said it is seeking “information about foreign government-linked individuals participating in certain malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.” It also emphasized wanting tips about “specific individuals behind the campaign.”

The FBI investigation revealed that Salt Typhoon gained access to telecom networks to obtain private information, and used it to attack victims across the globe.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the FBI, file a report on the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, or reach out anonymously via Signal or a Tor-based tip line.

The reward offer is part of the U.S. State Department’s Rewards for Justice program. For more details on how to qualify for the $10 million bounty, visit the program’s website.

“If you have any information about the individuals who comprise Salt Typhoon or other Salt Typhoon activity, we would particularly like to hear from you,” the FBI said.