One of the FBI’s most wanted hackers, Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev, better known by his aliases “Wazawaka” and “Boriselcin”, far from hiding in the shadows, has chosen to openly mock one of the most powerful institutions in the USA. On his X (Twitter) account, this Russian hacker proudly posted a photo of a T-shirt bearing nothing less than his own wanted poster.
Who is Mikhail Matveev, the FBI blacklisted hacker?
He is described as a “central figure” in the development and deployment of notorious ransomware variants such as Hive, LockBit and Babuk. Because of his cybercriminal activities, the FBI has designated him as one of its most wanted hackers. Involved in numerous large-scale cyberattacks, he and the Babuk group were notably involved in the attack on a Washington police network, as well as the attack on Japanese video game publisher Capcom in 2020 with the Ragnar Locker ransomware. The FBI is even offering a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
Matveev strikes back: a T-Shirt to troll the FBI
Matveev’s audacity apparently knows no bounds, and he has chosen to openly taunt the American authorities. In what could be considered a gesture of defiance, he has created a T-shirt featuring his own wanted poster.
He proudly presented this T-shirt on X (formerly Twitter), questioning his followers about their interest in buying it. The move is a clear act of defiance and mockery towards the US government’s attempts to bring him to justice.
When contacted by TechCrunch , Matveev verified his identity by providing evidence matching his description on the FBI’s Most Wanted page. However, he refused to answer any further questions, expressing his displeasure at being referred to as a “hacker”. Matveev insisted that he and his associates are a different kind of specialist, motivated solely by financial considerations.
Out of reach in Russia, the hacker taunts the FBI
Despite his status as the FBI’s most wanted person, Matveev seems to live his life without much fuss. He regularly gives in-depth interviews to cybersecurity journalists, publishes videos of himself listening to Metallica and writes about his hacking activities. As he said in a video deleted after the TechCrunh article was published: “The weather is good, the climate is good, everything is good. Even the sanctions make me happy.” As long as he remains in Russia, his life might not be so different from the one he led before his indictment.
