U.S. Justice Department Charges North Korean Hackers in Cryptocurrency Theft

According to PANews, the U.S. Department of Justice has charged four North Korean hackers with infiltrating a blockchain startup in Atlanta by posing as remote developers. The hackers allegedly stole approximately $900,000 in cryptocurrency. They gained trust by using forged identity documents and executed two thefts in 2022, stealing $175,000 and $740,000, respectively, before laundering the funds through mixers and fake identities. Analysts suggest these actions are part of a long-term strategy by North Korea to fund its weapons programs. The hackers exploited vulnerabilities in remote work culture to embed themselves within the company, bypassing background checks with forged documents while siphoning company funds. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice conducted a joint operation across 16 states, seizing 29 financial accounts, 21 fake websites, and around 200 computers used to support North Korea's IT initiatives.