FBI Cracks Down on Hamas Crypto Funding Operation
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has disrupted a Hamas online fundraising and recruitment network, seizing over £560,000 in cryptocurrency. The agency intercepted further donations and collected personal details from thousands of individuals who contacted or tried to contact Hamas online to transfer funds through cryptocurrency.
US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro stated, 'A message to Hamas: We will stop your fundraising for terror.' Brett Leatherman, an FBI assistant director in charge of the bureau's cyber division, noted that the agency would continue to use its authorities to intercept illicit funds and prevent terrorist organisations from exploiting digital networks.
The operation targeted Hamas' reliance on cryptocurrency, which the group used to finance its activities. The seized assets were worth more than £560,000, but no specific details on the cryptocurrencies involved were provided.