The person at the center of this case
Multiple financial institutions and cryptocurrency platforms
Justice for Multiple financial institutions and cryptocurrency platforms — the trail went cold in 2020, but the truth hasn't.
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How did Kim Il coordinate with other members of the Lazarus Group and APT38 across international borders?
What specific malicious cryptocurrency applications and tools did Kim develop and disseminate?
What financial institutions and cryptocurrency platforms were targeted, and what was the total value stolen?
Kim Il is a North Korean state-sponsored hacker allegedly part of the Lazarus Group and APT38, responsible for some of the costliest computer intrusions in history targeting financial institutions and cryptocurrency platforms. A federal arrest warrant was issued on December 8, 2020, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank fraud, and computer intrusions that caused massive damage and theft across multiple victim organizations. Despite the charges, Kim remains at large in North Korea, making apprehension unlikely without significant diplomatic intervention or voluntary surrender.
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Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
Did Kim Il have any known associates or handlers within North Korea's Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB)?
What were the circumstances of Kim's travels to Singapore and Russia, and did these trips involve criminal activity coordination?
Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Bank Fraud; Conspiracy to Commit Computer-Related Fraud (Computer Intrusion) Caution: Kim Il is allegedly a state-sponsored North Korean hacker who is part of an alleged criminal conspiracy responsible for some of the costliest computer intrusions in history. These intrusions caused damage to computer systems of, and stole currency and virtual currency from, numerous victims.
Kim was alleged to be a participant in a wide-ranging criminal conspiracy undertaken by a group of hackers of the North Korean government’s Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB). The conspiracy comprised North Korean hacking groups that some private cybersecurity researchers have labeled the “Lazarus Group” and Advanced Persistent Threat 38 (APT38).
For his part in the conspiracy, Kim is alleged to have been directly involved in the development and dissemination of a malicious cryptocurrency application, in cyber-enabled heists from financial institutions, and in the Marine Chain initial coin offering. On December 8, 2020, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Kim in the United States District Court, Central District of California, after he was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud (computer intrusions).
Remarks: Kim is a North Korean citizen last known to be in North Korea. Kim has traveled to Singapore and Russia in the past and has reported a date of birth in 1994.
A federal arrest warrant was issued in the United States District Court, Central District of California, charging Kim Il with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank fraud, and computer fraud involving intrusions.