Lawrence Damilola
The United States government has initiated legal action to recover approximately $2.67 million in cryptocurrency stolen by the Lazarus Group, a North Korean-affiliated hacking organization. Last Friday, two complaints were filed seeking to seize assets connected to major hacks targeting the Deribit and Stake.com platforms.
The first legal filing seeks to recover about $1.7 million in Tether (USDT) stolen from the Deribit exchange during a 2022 cyberattack. The complaint states that the Lazarus Group breached the platform’s hot wallet, siphoning $28 million. The stolen funds were funneled through Tornado Cash, a known cryptocurrency mixer used to obscure transaction trails.
Another filing is aimed at recovering approximately $970,000 in Avalanche-bridged Bitcoin (BTC.b) taken during a 2023 hack on Stake.com. The hackers targeted the gambling platform, leaving it with over $41 million in losses.
Other Hacks Linked to Lazarus Group
The Deribit and Stake.com incidents are among several attacks tied to the Lazarus Group. Onchain investigators have linked the group to a number of other major hacks, including a July 2024 breach of India’s WazirX exchange. In that case, the platform lost around $235 million in customer funds.
Additionally, an August 15 report by ZachXBT, a well-known onchain security researcher, uncovered a network of North Korean developers who compromised at least 25 cryptocurrency projects. These developers reportedly used fake names to infiltrate projects, tamper with code, and loot treasuries. ZachXBT stated that all the developers appeared to be working for the same organization.
Related: Florida Court Lets $80M Binance Bitcoin Lawsuit Move Forward
FBI Issues Warnings on Lazarus Scams
The FBI has warned the public about several social engineering schemes linked to the Lazarus Group, with a particular focus on fraudulent job offers. The hackers reportedly lure victims into downloading malicious software by presenting fake job applications. Once the malware is installed, victims face the risk of data theft and financial losses.
The legal filings mark a continued effort by U.S. authorities to address the cybercrimes attributed to the Lazarus Group, which has been linked to numerous high-profile cryptocurrency thefts over the years.
Related: US CFTC Approves Spot Crypto Trading on Regulated Exchanges
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LAWRENCE
Lawrence is a cryptocurrency journalist covering blockchain developments and digital assets.
