Europol: $50K Qilin Ransomware Bounty is a Hoax

European cyber agency refutes fabricated statement about investigations into Qilin attacks.

Europol has denied any connection to a Telegram channel that falsely claimed the agency was offering a $50,000 reward for information on Qilin ransomware operators.

The channel, created on August 16 under the handle @europolcti, named two alleged administrators, "Haise" and "XORacle," and posted a fabricated statement about international investigations into Qilin attacks.

Europol confirmed to BleepingComputer that "the announcement didn't come from us," later adding that it was surprised at how quickly the fake story spread. Shortly after, the channel's operator admitted it was designed to troll researchers and journalists, mocking them for amplifying unverified claims.

The posts were signed by "Rey," a hacker previously linked to high-profile breaches at Telefonica and Orange Group. Qilin, which rebranded from Agenda in 2022, remains one of the more active ransomware groups globally.

Ransomware Published: 22 August