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FBI Accuses North Korean Hacker Group of Rp. 1.4 Trillion Crypto Theft. PHOTO/Reuters
WASHINGTON – Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ) accusing hacker groups North Korea (North Korea) was behind the theft of digital assets worth USD 100 million (Rp 1.4 trillion) from a United States (US) Crypto company last year.
“North Korean hacker groups Lazarus Group and APT38 committed a cyber theft at the company Crypto Harmony last June,” said an FBI statement Monday (23/1/2023).
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According to the FBI, North Korean cyber actors earlier this month used the Railgun privacy protocol to launder more than $60 million worth of Ethereum stolen during the theft, some of which was sent to several virtual asset service providers and converted into Bitcoin.
Harmony, which is headquartered in California, announced in June that hackers had stolen USD100 million worth of digital coins from Horizon bridges, which are called blockchain bridges used to move cryptocurrency between different blockchain networks.
The FBI, which previously issued a warning about a malware campaign used in the theft dubbed “TraderTraitor”, said it had partially frozen funds with the cooperation of several virtual asset service providers.
The FBI said it would continue to work to “identify and disrupt” attempts to steal and launder cryptocurrency that supports the country’s illegal missile and nuclear weapons programs.
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“The FBI will continue to uncover and combat the DPRK’s use of prohibited activities – including cybercrimes and virtual currency theft – to generate revenue for the regime,” the FBI statement continued.
North Korea, which is ruled by third-generation dictator Kim Jong Un, has been accused by US and UN officials of orchestrating an escalating campaign of cyber theft to fund its activities, including the development of long-range ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.
South Korea’s spy agency said in December that North Korean hackers had stolen some 1.5 trillion South Korean won ($1.2 billion) in virtual assets over the past five years, including 800 billion South Korean won ($650.5 million) in 2022 only.
(esn)
