FBI Offers Big Bounty For 'Lover Spy' Cybercrook

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is offering several huge rewards for information that helps them arrest some of the world's most wanted cybercriminals. A tip leading to the arrest of crooks like El Salvador's Carlos Enrique Perez-Malara could net you $50,000.

Perez-Malara is accused of creating a special type of malware known as "Lover Spy". It was designed to help users catch their cheating lovers by collecting information on an infected computer. Systems were infected using an electronic greeting card.

While Perez-Malara is originally from El Salvador, the FBI says he sold his product (at a cost of $89) to about 1,000 people in the United States while living in San Diego, California.

Cold Cases Present Tough Challenges for FBI

This isn't a new case; instead, the FBI has been hunting the accused for an incredible eight years. That may be why the reward for information leading to Perez-Malara's arrest is so high. (Source: bbc.co.uk)

And this is hardly the only cold case the FBI needs help solving. It's also offering $50,000 for information that leads to the arrest of Andrey Nabilevich Taame, a Syrian man who employed a lucrative "click fraud" scheme back in 2010.

The FBI is also offering $50,000 for help arresting Noor Aziz Uddin and Farhan Ul Arshad, Pakistani nationals who allegedly masterminded a massive fraud scheme that raked in an astounding $50 million.

But the biggest reward has been reserved for anyone who can help the Bureau track down Russian man Aleksey Belan, who stands accused of infiltrating the networks of US-based e-commerce companies and stealing customer information.

Belan reportedly carried out these raids earlier this year.

FBI Depends On Public's Assistance, Representative Says

FBI representative Richard McFeely says no one should be surprised that the Bureau is looking for help from the public.

"Throughout its history, the FBI has depended on the public's help and support to bring criminals to justice," McFeely said. (Source: pcworld.com)

"That was true in the gangster era, and it's just as true in the cyber era. We need the public's help to catch these individuals who have made it their mission to spy on and steal from our nation and our citizens."

McFeely went on to say that the cybercriminals being pursued "have caused significant losses to individuals and to our economy," and that cybercrime continues to pose "a significant threat" to the United States' national security.