North Korean hackers used fake video calls to steal over $400 million in crypto, FBI says
- Severity
- High
- Sources
- 2
What happened
The FBI, speaking through Los Angeles counterintelligence and cyber special agent Jeremy Robertson, says North Korean actors ran a social engineering campaign (FaceDealer per CryptoPotato; FaceStealer per Decrypt) that used hijacked Telegram or LinkedIn accounts, pre-recorded webcam footage and fake Zoom or Teams meetings to deliver fake update malware, reportedly yielding over $400 million in 18 months across more than 900 victims. The FBI has disrupted infrastructure used in the scheme. Decrypt also reports the DOJ is moving to seize $1.2 billion linked to the Binance hack, while CryptoPotato reports the FBI attributed a $6.3 billion Binance breach to the TraderTraitor campaign. Pyongyang denies the claims.
For experienced traders · Written by AI from 2 sources · Wrong?
What to do
- Be cautious of unexpected video call invitations that ask you to install software or an update, even when they appear to come from a known contact.
- Verify with a known contact through a separate channel if a meeting invitation comes from an account that may have been hijacked.
- Watch for the DOJ's reported move to seize $1.2 billion tied to the Binance hack.
Written by AI from the sources, checked against them
Full story timeline · 2 updates
Who reported · 2 outlets
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