- The FBI said the North Korean hackers transferred stolen Bitcoin worth $40 million to different Bitcoin addresses.
- The agency believed that the group could now attempt to liquidate these assets.
On August 22, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the main law enforcement agency in the US, warned crypto companies about the recent blockchain activity involving crypto tokens worth $40 million stolen by North Korean hackers.
The FBI stated that it has tracked down crypto assets stolen by North Korean hackers affiliated with TraderTraitor. These hacking groups include the Lazarus Group and APT38.
The hacking group is supposed to be supported by the national regime, but that is often the case referred dubbed the Hidden Cobra by US intelligence.
According to the federal agency, the Lazarus Group transferred about 1,580 Bitcoin [BTC] worth more than $40 million, illegally obtained through various crypto thefts, to various Bitcoin addresses. In particular, the agency listed all these addresses in its press statement. The agency believes the group may now attempt to sell these assets.
The FBI urged all crypto platforms to look at recent blockchain data related to the said addresses. Platforms must be vigilant about transactions directly or indirectly related to the addresses.
The FBI attributed several high-profile crypto heists to the hacking group. These robberies led to the theft of $60 million from payment provider Alphapo, $37 million from CoinsPaid, and $100 million from Atomic Wallet. All of these crypto hacks took place in June.
North Korea conducts crypto hacks to evade nuclear weapons sanctions
Two weeks ago, according to Reuters named a United Nations report that talked about cyber-attacks by North Korea.
Independent sanctions monitors wrote in the report to a UN Security Council committee:
Following a record-breaking 2022 cyber theft estimated at $1.7 billion, hackers from the North Korean Democratic People’s Republic of Korea reportedly continued to successfully target cyber-cryptocurrency and other financial exchanges worldwide.
Hackers working for the Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB), North Korea’s main foreign intelligence agency, continued to use increasingly sophisticated cyber techniques to steal money and information.
The report states,
Companies in the cryptocurrency, defense, energy and healthcare sectors were particularly targeted.
The country evades sanctions through these illegal methods of developing its nuclear weapons, the report said.