CryptoCurrency
Hacker pleads guilty to SIM swap attack on US SEC X account
Today, an Alabama man pleaded guilty to hijacking the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) account on X in a January 2024 SIM swapping attack. This comes after the defendant, 25-year-old Eric Council Jr., first pleaded not guilty to hacking the account and enabling his co-conspirators to make a fake announcement that Bitcoin ETFs were approved. “Today […]
Ransomware payments fell by 35% in 2024, totalling $813,550,000
Payments to ransomware actors decreased 35% year-over-year in 2024, totaling $813.55 million, down from $1.25 billion recorded in 2023. Additionally, only about 30% of victims engaged in negotiations with ransomware actors ended up paying any ransom to them. These figures are reported by blockchain intelligence firm Chainalysis, underlining a significant decline in an otherwise record-breaking year for […]
Crypto-stealing apps found in Apple App Store for the first time
Android and iOS apps on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store contain a malicious software development kit (SDK) designed to steal cryptocurrency wallet recovery phrases using optical character recognition (OCR) stealers. The campaign is called “SparkCat” after the name (“Spark”) of one of the malicious SDK components in the infected apps, with developers likely […]
Canadian charged with stealing $65 million using DeFI crypto exploits
The U.S. Justice Department has charged a Canadian man with stealing roughly $65 million after exploiting two decentralized finance (DeFI) protocols. DeFI platforms are blockchain-based systems that facilitate peer-to-peer financial services, eliminating the need for conventional centralized financial intermediaries like banks or brokerages. These platforms deliver various financial services related to digital assets, enabling their […]
KuCoin to pay nearly $300 million in penalties after guilty plea
KuCoin’s operator, PEKEN Global Limited, pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business and agreed to pay $297 million in penalties to settle charges in the U.S. The cryptocurrency exchange was charged in March 2024 for its failure to implement the required anti-money laundering (AML) requirements, allowing cybercriminals to use the platform to launder their proceeds. According […]
Solana Pump.fun tool DogWifTool compromised to drain wallets
Hackers have compromised the Windows version of the DogWifTools software for promoting meme coins on the Solana blockchain in a supply-chain attack that drained users’ wallets. The developers claim that a malicious threat actor compromised the project’s private GitHub repository after reverse engineering the software to extract a GitHub token. The maintainers of the platform said […]
Hackers steal $85 million worth of cryptocurrency from Phemex
The Phemex crypto exchange suffered a massive security breach on Thursday where threat actors stole over $85 million worth of cryptocurrency. Following the Thursday cyberattack, the cryptocurrency exchange immediately suspended deposits and withdrawals and published proof of reserves for transparency. According to Phemex’s CEO, Federico Variola, the incident only impacted hot wallets while cold wallets […]
US govt says North Korea stole over $659 million in crypto last year
North Korean state-backed hacking groups have stolen over $659 million worth of cryptocurrency in multiple crypto-heists, according to a joint statement issued by the United States, South Korea, and Japan on Tuesday. The announcement also warns that threat groups linked to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) are still actively targeting blockchain technology industry […]
Pastor who saw crypto project in his “dream” indicted for fraud
A pastor at a Pasco, Washington, church has been indicted on 26 counts of fraud for allegedly operating a cryptocurrency scam that defrauded investors of millions between 2021 and 2023. The US Department of Justice says the pastor, Francier Obando Pinillo, 51, used his position to recruit investors into a fraudulent cryptocurrency venture called “Solano Fi,” which […]
New Web3 attack exploits transaction simulations to steal crypto
Threat actors are employing a new tactic called “transaction simulation spoofing” to steal crypto, with one attack successfully stealing 143.45 Ethereum, worth approximately $460,000. The attack, spotted by ScamSniffer, highlights a flaw in transaction simulation mechanisms used in modern Web3 wallets, meant to safeguard users from fraudulent and malicious transactions. How the attack works Transaction simulation […]