The Federal Bureau of Investigation claims to have identified the perpetrators of a $41 million robbery from an online gaming platform.
The FBI blamed the astonishing data theft from Stakes.com on the Lazarus Group, a criminal organization associated with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, also known as North Korea.
“The FBI has confirmed that this theft took place on or about September 4, 2023, and attributes it to the Lazarus Group (also known as APT38) which is comprised of DPRK cyber actors,” the FBI announced in a Wednesday statement.
???????? FBI says North Korean 'Lazarus Group' hackers are behind the $41M StakeCom crypto casino hack.
The FBI has officially identified the Lazarus Group as the hacker responsible for the theft of $41 million from Stake. com, as reported on September 8 on the FBI's official website. pic.twitter.com/8SBW53RHYg
— DG Crypto News (@dgcryptonews) September 8, 2023
The North Korean hackers stole Ethereum, Binance Smart Chain, Polygon, and Bitcoin, according to the statement.
Stake co-founder Edward Craven informed cryptocurrency news site DL News that a mechanism for authorizing bitcoin transactions had been compromised in a “sophisticated breach.”
The Internet casino is still operational.
The chances of recovering the digital currency look slim, and the FBI appears to have few alternatives for action.
North Korea does not participate in the international financial system and does not follow the decisions of Western courts.
“The FBI will continue to expose and combat the DPRK’s use of illicit activities to generate revenue for the regime, including cybercrime and virtual currency theft,” the agency pledged.
The FBI warns internet users not to connect with a set of cryptocurrency wallet addresses linked to the hackers.
The FBI claims to have stolen $200 million in cyberspace in 2023 alone, according to the release.
According to Vice News, the Lazarus Group has stolen more than $1 billion through hacking.
The gang is suspected of being behind the 2014 Sony Pictures breach, which was sparked by a Sony video satirizing an assassination attempt on North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
According to The Associated Press, Kim will fly to Russia later this month for a meeting that could result in his country providing weaponry for Russia’s use in its battle in Ukraine.
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