According to PANews, the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating a case involving a former employee of DigitalMint, a Chicago-based company specializing in ransomware negotiation and cryptocurrency payment services. The employee, a ransomware negotiation expert, allegedly made secret agreements with hackers and took commissions from ransom payments, significantly harming client interests. The company stated that the employee has been immediately dismissed and described the incident as an isolated case.
The investigation by the Justice Department is focused on whether the negotiation expert violated federal laws, including conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering. If found guilty, the individual could face severe penalties.
DigitalMint, which has been operating since 2017, claims to have handled over 2,000 ransomware incidents, assisting clients in obtaining decryption keys and preventing the exposure of stolen data.