'Most Wanted' Russian hacker 'Wazawaka' trolls US govt, FBI

U.S. government recently accused a Russian hacker named Mikhail Matveev of committing serious cybercrimes in America and other countries. He is also known by the online names “Wazawaka” and “Boriselcin.”

The charges against him include being a significant player in carrying out ransomware attacks on American businesses and important infrastructure. The FBI has classified him as one of the most wanted cybercriminals.

However, because he is believed to be in Russia, it is unlikely that he will be brought to the United States to face trial.

Surprisingly, Matveev seems unbothered by the accusations and has even taunted the authorities. He recently created a T-shirt featuring his own wanted poster and asked his Twitter followers if they would like to buy it.

When contacted by TechCrunch, Matveev confirmed his identity by showing a picture of his left hand, which only has four fingers, a distinctive feature noted on his FBI most wanted page. He also sent a selfie of himself holding a piece of paper with the reporter’s name on it.

Matveev has specifically remained silent on his poersonal life as a ‘wanted hacker’. He, however, has told media that he dislikes the term “hacker” and claimed to be a different kind of specialist who uses their skills for practical purposes. He seemed more interested in discussing how he lost one of his fingers.

FBI has also declined to comment on Matveev’s case.

Matveev’s online activities, including interviews with cybersecurity journalists, posting videos of himself driving while listening to Metallica, and writing about his hacking exploits, suggest that he isn’t particularly concerned about being on the FBI’s most wanted list. As long as he remains in Russia, his life may not be drastically different from how it was before he was indicted.

In a video that he later deleted, Matveev remarked, “The weather is good, the climate is good, everything is good. Even the sanctions make me happy. Many people say false things.”