Security News > 2020 > August > DoJ Aims to Seize 280 Cryptocurrency Accounts Used by Hackers

The U.S. government aims to seize control of 280 illegal cryptocurrency accounts it claims were used by North Korean state-sponsored attackers in their efforts to hack cryptocurrency exchanges and funnel hundreds of millions in stolen funds through a Chinese money-laundering network.

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil forfeiture complaint against North Korea Thursday as part of a broader effort to shut down that it said were state-sponsored cyberattacks on currency exchanges by hackers.

The complaint details two specific attacks against virtual currency exchanges in 2019 allegedly carried out by North Korean hackers.

In another attack, the DoJ said a North Korea-associated hacker gained access to an unnamed company's virtual currency wallets, funds held by the company on other platforms, and funds held by the company's partners.

The DoJ complaint is the latest move by the U.S. government to crack down on what it says are cyber-criminal activity tied to North Korea, despite its own acknowledgement that it will be difficult to shut down the nation's widespread hacking efforts entirely.

News URL

https://threatpost.com/doj-aims-to-seize-280-cryptocurrency-accounts-used-by-hackers/158757/