Business owners warned of ransomware scam that could cost $500K

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KCTV) - Federal agents have warned business owners of a letter in circulation that claims their data has been breached and ransoms it for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Agents from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation have warned business owners that a recent ransom scam could put a halt to their operations as their security infrastructure is threatened.

The USPS noted that criminals who have claimed to be from a ransomware group used postal carriers to send letters that contained threats to corporate executives. The letters are stamped “Time Sensitive Read Immediately” and claim the “BrianLian Group” has gained access to their organization’s network.

According to investigators, the letters claim that thousands of sensitive data files were stolen during the breach. They threaten to publicize data to sites if the victim does not pay between $250,000 and $500,000 in 10 days.

Law enforcement officials noted that a QR code linked to a Bitcoin wallet is included in the letters, which state the group will not negotiate.

The FBI said agents believe the letters are an attempt to scam organizations into paying the ransom. The letter contains a U.S.-based return address in Boston. No connections have been made between the mailer and the known BrianLian ransomware and data extortion group.

Postal inspectors indicated that they are investigating the part of the scan that extends to the Postal Service and its customers.

The FBI and USPS have recommended that individuals take the following precautions:

• Notify organization executives of the scam for awareness.
• Ensure employees are educated on what to do if they receive a ransom threat.
• If you or your organization receive one of these letters, ensure your network defenses are up to date and that there are no active alerts regarding malicious activity.
• If you discover you are a target of this scam, please visit the FBI’s Joint Cybersecurity Awareness Bulletin for recent tactics, techniques and procedures on how to detect network breaches to help organizations protect against ransomware.

The FBI noted that victims have been requested to report any receipt of the mentioned letters to local FBI Field Offices or the Internet Crime Complaint Center HERE.

No further information has been released.