The FBI issues a press statement warning legitimate cryptocurrency companies about recent blockchain activities tied to significant cryptocurrency thefts.
“The FBI issued an official press statement, alerting legitimate cryptocurrency companies to recent blockchain activities tied to substantial cryptocurrency thefts totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. These illicit actions trace back to the notorious Lazarus Group, which maintains affiliations with TraderTraitor and APT38. This hacking unit is also recognized as Hidden Cobra and is suspected of having ties to Pyongyang.
In a recent Tuesday announcement, the FBI reports successfully tracking cryptocurrency previously stolen by the Lazarus Group. This criminal organization reportedly comprises around 6,000 hackers under North Korea’s command, leveraging them for financial gains and intelligence gathering. Experts emphasize the group’s adeptness in deploying sophisticated techniques to secure funds and sensitive data from their targets.
However, a recent FBI investigation reveals that the Lazarus hackers moved around 1,580 bitcoins, acquired from multiple cryptocurrency heists. Currently, the group controls these funds through the following bitcoin addresses:
- 3LU8wRu4ZnXP4UM8Yo6kkTiGHM9BubgyiG
- 39idqitN9tYNmq3wYanwg3MitFB5TZCjWu
- 3AAUBbKJorvNhEUFhKnep9YTwmZECxE4Nk
- 3PjNaSeP8GzLjGeu51JR19Q2Lu8W2Te9oc
- 3NbdrezMzAVVfXv5MTQJn4hWqKhYCTCJoB
- 34VXKa5upLWVYMXmgid6bFM4BaQXHxSUoL
“Lazarus Group recently became implicated in a series of high-profile cryptocurrency heists. To highlight their activities’ scope, consider June 2023: these North Korean hackers seized $60 million in virtual currency from Alphapo and another $37 million from CoinsPaid, an Estonian crypto payment platform. Notably, that same month witnessed Atomic Wallet’s astounding loss of $100 million in virtual currency.
The history of Lazarus Group’s crypto heists further underscores their impact. With losses totaling tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars, their past exploits encompass the audacious theft of $721 million in cryptocurrency assets from Japan since 2017. Moreover, they are known for acquiring $625 million worth of cryptocurrencies from the Ronin exchange. More recently, they orchestrated a $64 million theft linked to the Harmony blockchain breach.
With a resolute stance, the FBI urges private sector entities to meticulously review blockchain data tied to mentioned addresses. This vigilance remains essential to avoid direct transactions or those derived from these addresses. The Bureau maintains an unwavering commitment to uncovering and countering the DPRK’s engagement in illicit activities, including cybercrime and virtual currency theft to generate revenue.
As part of ongoing efforts to gauge North Korea’s funds amassed through global cyberattacks, the US government notably references a report by the UN Security Council 1718 Committee Panel of Experts from August 2019. According to this report, North Korea’s cyber theft attempts could potentially have reached up to $2 billion, with $571 million attributed specifically to cryptocurrency theft.”
