North Korean Hackers Drain $11M From 7,000 Crypto Wallets

A North Korean hacking group has been impersonating recruiters to compromise developers and steal funds from their cryptocurrency wallets. The group, known as WaterPlum or Contagious Interview, targeted web designers, engineers, and specialists in crypto, blockchain, and Web3 work.

Between December 2025 and July 2026, the hackers infected at least 30,000 devices across more than 100 countries. They took funds or credentials from over 7,000 cryptocurrency wallets and moved around $10.71 million to North Korea.

Japanese authorities dismantled a domestic 'laptop farm' run by a domestic enabler, marking the first such case in Japan. The laptop farm was used to remotely operate computers in North Korea, China, or Russia.