The U.S. government has filed a legal complaint to recover $2.6 million in cryptocurrency stolen by North Korea’s Lazarus Group, a state-sponsored hacking collective. The complaint, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, focuses on funds linked to cyberattacks carried out by the group.
Authorities aim to reclaim $1.7 million in Tether (USDT) from the November 2022 Derbit hack, which drained $28 million from the Panamanian crypto exchange, and $971,000 in Bitcoin stolen in a September 2023 hack targeting a digital casino, where $41 million was stolen.
This legal action is part of the U.S. government’s ongoing efforts to disrupt the Lazarus Group, known for funding North Korea’s military ambitions through cyberattacks on the digital asset sector.
The U.S. Treasury had previously sanctioned Tornado Cash, a mixing service used by the group to launder stolen assets, labeling it a key tool for the hackers.
A U.N. report revealed that up to 40% of the funds stolen by North Korean hackers go toward the country’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) program. The Lazarus Group’s focus on cryptocurrency has increased global security risks.
In September, the FBI warned that the group’s sophisticated cyber tactics pose a significant threat to the blockchain industry, highlighting the complexity of their schemes that often compromise even the most well-secured networks.
Image Credit: Pixabay
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