Hackers From Kim Jong Un’s North Korea Posed as Trusted Contacts on Video Calls to Steal $400 Million in Crypto: FBI
North Korean cyber actors used “deceptive” video meetings and AI-generated deepfakes to steal more than $400 million from cryptocurrency and Web3 professionals, the FBI said on Thursday.Beware of the FaceStealer ScamThe campaign, known as FaceStealer, operated over the past 18 months and targeted individuals across the digital-asset industry.The hackers used social-engineering tactics, including video-meeting invitations sent from previously compromised accounts. They then captured victims’ webcam footage and replayed recordings of trusted contacts.AI helped the attackers impersonate prominent industry figures, making fraudulent meetings appear legitimate.Mid-meeting, the attackers fake an audio or technical problem, then provide a troubleshooting link. The “fix” secretly installs malware, enabling hackers to steal cryptocurrency or misuse the target’s access to other systems.“North Korea’s FaceStealer is a highly effective social engineering scheme capable of deceiving even the most experienced technical and security-conscious computer user,” said Assistant Director in Charge Patrick Grandy of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.DOJ Seizes Stolen Binance FundsThe FBI also held “members of the North Korean military” responsible for the on Binance , the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.Working together, U.S. authorities and private-sector partners have frozen over $2.7 billion. The Justice Department has court approval to take control of more than $1.2 billion of those funds.Notably, Binance announced that it has fully replenished the stolen funds using its Secure Asset Fund for Users, futures insurance fund and corporate treasury.Binance has completed coverage of assets impacted in the security incident and we have published a new Proof of Reserves snapshot. Once the zero-knowledge proof is generated, users can independently verify that their assets are backed at a minimum of 1:1 -…Kim Jong-Un-led North Korea earlier alleging that the U.S. is trying to mislead international public opinion.This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.Preview Image via Shutterstock/ Alexander Khitrov