Seoul Police Dismantle International Hacking Group, Arrest 16 Suspects

According to PANews, Seoul police have dismantled an international hacking group, arresting 16 suspects involved in a scheme targeting government and financial institution websites. The group stole personal information from wealthy individuals and used fake phone numbers to bypass security systems, stealing funds from victims' bank and cryptocurrency accounts. The total amount involved in the case is reported to be $28.1 million. The hackers collected data on 258 prominent individuals, including 28 cryptocurrency investors, 75 corporate executives, 12 celebrities, and 6 athletes. However, the actual thefts targeted only 26 individuals, whose account balances totaled $39.8 billion (55.22 trillion Korean won). Among these, cryptocurrency was stolen from 16 victims, with the largest single theft amounting to $15.4 million (21.3 billion Korean won). Financial institutions successfully intercepted 10 additional theft attempts totaling $18 million. One notable incident involved an attempted theft of $6.1 million from BTS member Jungkook's Hybe Entertainment stock account, which was thwarted due to abnormal bank system monitoring and brokerage firm intervention. Police have swiftly responded by freezing and returning $9.2 million in stolen funds.