US seizes $500,000 in cryptocurrencies from North Korean hackers

The US Department of Justice reported the seizure of about $500,000 in cryptocurrencies from North Korean hackers, which were obtained through ransomware attacks.

According to Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco (Lisa Monaco), the confiscated funds have already begun to flow into the accounts of affected citizens and companies from the states of Kansas and Colorado. 

Attacks on the computer systems of the victims were carried out last year and, according to the results of the FBI investigation, traces of the crime were brought to North Korean hackers.

Interestingly, the funds themselves were confiscated from the accounts of Chinese money launderers. As part of the operation, employees of the FBI, the US Secret Service and the Treasury Department worked. They were able to trace cryptocurrency payments and gain access to wallets.

Lisa Monaco also urged companies affected by ransomware attacks to report these incidents to law enforcement. She stressed that it is quite possible to return the funds, although it is becoming increasingly difficult to do this.

In April of this year, the US Secret Service (USSS) Investigations Division reported that since 2015, the service has confiscated more than $$102 million worth of digital assets from criminals.