Crypto Founders Thwart North Korean Hackers Using Fake Zoom Calls

According to PANews, several cryptocurrency project founders have recently reported successfully preventing attempts by suspected North Korean hackers to steal sensitive data through fake Zoom calls. On March 11, Nick Bax, a member of the white-hat hacker group Security Alliance, warned on the X platform that North Korean scammers have used this method to steal millions of dollars from victims. Bax explained that the scammers typically lure targets with the promise of meetings or collaborations. Once the call begins, they send a message pretending there is an audio issue while playing a dull video of a venture capitalist. They then provide a fake new call link, claiming a patch is needed to fix the audio/video. This tactic exploits people's eagerness to meet important figures and resolve audio issues, leading them to lower their guard. Installing the patch results in falling victim to the scam. Giulio Xiloyonnis, co-founder of blockchain game Mon Protocol, revealed that scammers attempted to deceive him and his marketing director through a collaboration meeting. Fortunately, he realized at the last moment that the provided Zoom link was a scam, falsely claiming audio issues to induce malware installation. David Zhang, co-founder of U.S. venture-backed stablecoin Stably, was also targeted. Scammers used his Google Meet link but fabricated an internal meeting excuse to get him to join. Zhang noted that the site appeared to be a normal Zoom call, but he was unsure of its behavior on a desktop as he answered on a tablet. Melbin Thomas, founder of the Web3 project decentralized AI platform Devdock AI, also encountered the scam. Although he did not enter a password during installation, he disconnected his laptop and reset it to factory settings, transferring files to a hard drive without reconnecting, leaving uncertainty about potential infection. Additionally, earlier today, blockchain security firm CertiK reported that following a series of high-profile hacking incidents, the Lazarus Group has been using mixers to move crypto assets. They detected the deposit of 400 Ethereum, valued at approximately $750,000, into the Tornado Cash mixing service.