OMM Newsroom
North Korean state-sponsored hackers have stolen more than $400 million in cryptocurrency by using fake video calls to steal people’s identities, US authorities say. More than 900 people have fallen victim to the scheme, known as FaceStealer, in the past 18 months, according to the FBI, the BBC reported.
“The North Korean regime relies on proceeds from large-scale cryptocurrency theft to fund its illicit weapons program, stealing billions of dollars in recent years,” FBI cyber director Brett Leatherman said.
The announcement came a week after the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, “Binance”, said hackers had used fake job interviews to steal a record $6.3bn (£4.7bn) from the company. US law enforcement agencies have attributed that attack, believed to be the largest crypto hack to date, to actors linked to North Korea. Pyongyang has denied the claim.
Authorities say FaceStealer “aggressively targets” people working in cryptocurrency and web3, particularly those involved in developing and maintaining open-source software.
According to the FBI and the US Justice Department, hackers use fake or hijacked social media accounts to invite potential victims to video calls hosted on “imposter versions” of “Zoom”, “Microsoft Teams” and “Google Meet”.
During the calls, hackers play pre-recorded footage of people known to the targets, making the conversations appear legitimate. The audio then seems to malfunction, prompting an on-screen message asking the target to click a link to “fix” it.
The link eventually downloads malware onto the target’s device, allowing hackers to access contact lists and apps and expand their pool of potential victims. US authorities say the hackers secretly record the calls and use the footage to scam others.
The FBI has called FaceStealer “a highly effective social engineering scheme capable of deceiving even the most experienced technical and security conscious computer user”.
“It exploits our trust in ubiquitous video conference platforms and valued personal relationships,” Patrick Grandy, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, said in a statement on Thursday.
“If you can’t imagine a scenario where you might fall prey to it, you are not thinking creatively enough,” he added.
