FBI attributes $400 million theft to North Korean hackers
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Daily Maverick
The FBI attributes the theft of more than $400 million through video-conference scams to a North Korean hacking group, “Sapphire Sleet”, a method it calls “FaceStealer”. According to a notice published Wednesday, investigators seized more than 900 videos of victims recorded without their knowledge.
The FBI has identified a North Korean hacking group, known as Sapphire Sleet or UNC1069, as responsible for a theft campaign targeting cryptocurrency and blockchain players in particular. The US federal bureau attributed the activity to the group in a notice published Wednesday.
The hackers use a social engineering technique called “FaceStealer” by the FBI. They invite targets to video conferences through fake versions of Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet, using accounts belonging to contacts that have already been compromised. A fake technical error then prompts them to click on a link that infects their computer and social media accounts.
The FBI seized more than 900 videos recorded from victims’ webcams. The group has also begun using artificial intelligence to create deepfake videos of well-known and influential figures in the cryptocurrency and blockchain sectors, according to the FBI.
Sapphire Sleet is distinct from the North Korean group that the FBI and private companies have blamed for the recent hacking of the cryptocurrency exchange Binance, which resulted in the theft of $6.3 billion.
