FBI Blames Lazarus Group for $41M Stake.com Cyberattack

A few days ago, Stake.com, one of the biggest online operators in the world, suffered a devastating cyberattack, losing a whopping $41.35 million in cryptocurrencies in the process. This forced the company to temporarily halt withdrawals and implement measures to ensure the funds of its users are safe.

Stake.com resumed its services a few hours later. Beosin later provided details about the money Stake.com lost, noting that the first transaction on Ethereum was $3.9 million in stablecoin Tether. Another $9.8 million in Ether, $1.1 million in USD Coin and $900,000 in Dai were also withdrawn.

In the meantime, the cyberattack also targeted Polygon and BNB Smart Chain, resulting in the withdrawal of $7,825,000 and $17,825,540, respectively.

Following a swift investigation, the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation has now announced that the one behind the attack is the infamous Lazarus Group, a notorious group of hackers and cybercriminals from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The FBI also listed the virtual currency addresses the stolen Stake.com money was transferred to. The data is available on the agency’s official website.

The Lazarus Group Is Notorious for Its Attacks

The FBI noted that the Lazarus Group is also responsible for other high-profile international virtual currency heists. The agency noted that this year alone has seen DPRK cyber actors steal more than $200 million. For reference, this includes the $60 million of virtual currency stolen from Alphapo and CoinsPaid in July, as well as approximately $100 million of virtual currency stolen from Atomic Wallet in June.

In addition to the recent thefts, the FBI has also previously provided information about the attacks against Harmony’s Horizon bridge and Sky Mavis’ Ronin Bridge. The Lazarus Group was also sanctioned in 2019 by the Office of Foreign Assets of the US Department of Treasury.

The FBI noted that a cybersecurity advisory is available on TraderTraitor. The body urged private sector companies to review the advisory and remain wary when dealing with one of the addresses now listed on its website.

In the meantime, the FBI remains committed to combating the DPRK’s use of cybercrime. The agency slammed the hacker’s efforts to steal virtual currency to fuel the regime.