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Did BlackCat pull an exit scam? The available official and contemporaneous sources do not establish that it did. They confirm that law enforcement disrupted the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware operation and that an FBI seizure notice appeared on one of its websites; they do not show that the gang staged the notice or kept an affiliate’s ransom share. Those allegations should remain allegations, not reported facts.
What was the ALPHV/BlackCat operation?
ALPHV, BlackCat and Noberus are names used for the same ransomware operation in the U.S. Department of Justice’s account. It worked as ransomware-as-a-service: administrators and developers maintained the ransomware and supporting illicit infrastructure, while affiliates found targets and carried out attacks. After a ransom payment, the developers and affiliates shared the proceeds, according to the Justice Department.
The attacks could involve more than encrypting files. Affiliates also stole sensitive data and used the threat of publishing it to pressure victims to pay for both decryption and non-disclosure.
What happened on December 19, 2023?
On December 19, 2023, the Justice Department announced a law-enforcement disruption of ALPHV/BlackCat. It said the FBI had gained visibility into the group’s network, seized several websites operated by the group and developed a decryption tool. The FBI offered that tool to more than 500 affected victims, according to the DOJ announcement.
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Recorded Future News reported that an FBI seizure notice appeared on the group’s website that day. That is evidence of a law-enforcement seizure notice being displayed, not proof that BlackCat created or staged the notice. The report does not establish that the group diverted ransom money or withheld an affiliate’s share.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco described the operation this way: “In disrupting the BlackCat ransomware group, the Justice Department has once again hacked the hackers.” The quotation characterizes the law-enforcement action; it does not support the exit-scam allegation.
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What do the ransom-savings figures mean?
The Justice Department published different estimates in separate updates. They describe the reported impact of FBI assistance at those respective points in time, not a single cumulative total.
| DOJ update | Reported assistance | How to read the figure |
|---|---|---|
| December 19, 2023 | Approximately $68 million in ransom demands avoided for multiple victims; decryption capability offered to more than 500 affected victims. | The December 2023 announcement’s estimate. Source |
| Later DOJ case updates: December 31, 2025, and April 30, 2026 | Approximately $99 million in ransom payments saved. | A figure reported in the later case history. It has different wording and a later reporting date than the 2023 estimate. Guilty-plea update; sentencing update |
The DOJ updates say the operation had more than 1,000 victims worldwide. That victim count is not a ransom-savings figure and should not be added to either estimate.
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What evidence would prove an exit scam?
An exit scam allegation here contains claims beyond the confirmed law-enforcement disruption: that BlackCat itself staged a takedown, or that its operators took a victim’s payment while denying an affiliate the agreed share. The reviewed sources do not establish either claim.
- Officially confirmed: DOJ says the FBI disrupted the operation and seized several group-operated websites.
- Contemporaneously reported: Recorded Future News reported an FBI seizure notice on a BlackCat website on December 19, 2023. Read the report.
- Not established by those sources: that BlackCat fabricated the notice, intentionally staged its own disappearance, or withheld an affiliate’s payment.
A seizure notice alone cannot distinguish a genuine law-enforcement takedown from a staged one, nor can it show how a specific ransom was divided. Direct evidence supporting those additional claims would be needed before stating them as fact.
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What do later prosecutions establish?
DOJ’s later case updates describe two Americans who pleaded guilty to carrying out ALPHV/BlackCat attacks and were subsequently sentenced. The releases confirm prosecutions of individuals who acted as attackers in the operation; they do not resolve whether the group staged an exit scam or withheld an affiliate’s ransom share. See the December 31, 2025 guilty-plea update and the April 30, 2026 sentencing update.
What should organizations take away?
The FBI, CISA and HHS joint advisory describes ALPHV/BlackCat tactics, including social engineering and malware capabilities affecting Windows, Linux and VMware environments. Its prevention guidance is general risk reduction, not a guarantee against compromise. The joint advisory recommends that organizations:
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