Security News > 2021 > July > FBI warns cryptocurrency owners, exchanges of ongoing attacks
The Federal Bureau of Investigation warns cryptocurrency owners, exchanges, and third-party payment platforms of threat actors actively targeting virtual assets in attacks that can lead to significant financial losses.
The FBI issued the warning via a TLP:GREEN Private Industry Notification designed to provide cybersecurity professionals with the information required to properly defend against these ongoing attacks.
According to the FBI, attackers are using several tactics to steal and launder cryptocurrency, including technical support fraud, SIM swapping, and taking control of their targets' cryptocurrency exchange accounts via identity theft or account takeovers.
The FBI advises financial organizations that could be targeted in similar attacks to check for mails coming from spoofed email addresses and keep track and monitor recently created accounts.
Cryptocurrency owners are also encouraged to enable multi-factor authentication on all their cryptocurrency accounts, deny requests to download and use remote access applications, and always contact exchanges and payment companies via official phone numbers and email addresses.
The FBI issued another SIM swapping alert in March 2019 after an increase in SIM hijacking incidents with guidance on defending against such attacks.