US Seizes $560K in Crypto Donations for Hamas Militant Group
The US Justice Department has seized over $560,000 in cryptocurrency donations intended for Hamas's military wing. The operation, announced by the department on Tuesday, aimed to disrupt the terrorist group's financing networks.
Hamas officials had been using virtual currencies like Bitcoin and soliciting donations through their Telegram channel and direct online fundraising methods since early 2019. They boasted that these funds would be untraceable, but FBI investigations revealed a network of illicit transactions.
A major breakthrough came when a confidential source in the US alerted law enforcement to a Hamas-linked email address being used for cryptocurrency donations. The FBI then seized control of several website domains and communication platforms used by the group for fundraising and recruitment.
According to Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, 'your networks are not secure, your crypto is vulnerable, and we will not stop until your ability to wage war is defeated.'