New scam involves fake BianLian ransomware notes

There’s a scam going around that involves impersonating ransomware group BianLian, warns the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

On Thursday, the FBI issued a warning that describes the scam. Ransoms letters (yep, snail mail) are sent to corporate executives claiming to be from “BianLian Group,” a known Russian ransomware gang, saying they’ve infiltrated the organization’s network and demand payment to a Bitcoin wallet or else sensitive information will be published on its network.

According to the announcement, the letter is stamped “Time Sensitive Read Immediately” and demands between “$250,000 and $500,000 within ten days from receipt of the letter.” The letter includes a QR code to the Bitcoin wallet and says it “will not negotiate further with victims.”

The FBI says this is a scam, and not a targeted BianLian ransomware heist. “We have not yet identified any connections between the senders and the widely-publicized BianLian ransomware and data extortion group,” read the warning, which also noted that the scam has a Boston, MA return address.

According to cybersecurity firm Arctic Wolf, which reviewed the scam said organizations that had received the letters reported “no activity indicative of a ransomware intrusion,” further reinforcing the conclusion that the letters did not come from BianLian.

Businesses that receive the letter are advised to file a complaint to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and spread awareness of the scam to their employees.

If businesses believe they are actually being ransomed by BianLian, the FBI recommends visiting the joint Cybersecurity Advisory bulletin for detailed techniques and procedures on how to protect themselves.

Cybercrime requires constant vigilance online, but here’s another reminder to be wary of snail mail too.