North Korean hackers stole $400 million in cryptocurrency over 18 months, Bild reports.
Posing as acquaintances of their targets, the hackers invited employees of cryptocurrency companies instead of live participants, showing victims pre-recorded videos or deep fakes of well-known figures in the crypto industry.
The hackers then staged technical glitches that prompted victims to click on links or that allowed malware to be installed on their devices, giving criminals access to their accounts and cryptocurrency holdings.
The hackers also used webcams to record their targets and later impersonate them to defraud acquaintances. The FBI uncovered more than 900 such tapes.
According to US authorities, the stolen funds help fund the Kim Jong Un regime and its military programs.