February 11 News, Google’s security team Mandiant disclosed that a North Korea-linked hacker group is using deepfake videos and fake Zoom calls to carry out highly targeted social engineering attacks against the cryptocurrency industry, and is deploying multiple malicious programs to steal assets and data.
The investigation shows that this operation was launched by the cyber threat group UNC1069. The group has been active since at least 2018 and shifted its focus from traditional finance to the Web3 space after 2023, targeting executives of crypto financial technology companies, software developers, and venture capital professionals. The incident began when an industry executive’s Telegram account was hijacked. The attacker impersonated the individual to contact targets, build trust, and then send fake Calendly video meeting invitations.
After victims clicked the link, they were directed to a fake Zoom domain controlled by the attacker. During the call, the attacker played a deepfake video of what appeared to be the CEO of another crypto company, and claimed there was an “audio malfunction,” tricking the target into running a supposed troubleshooting command on their computer. These commands triggered an infection chain on macOS and Windows systems, silently deploying up to seven malicious software programs.
Mandiant confirmed that these tools can steal Keychain credentials, browser cookies, login information, Telegram sessions, and local sensitive files. Researchers believe that the attackers aim both to directly acquire crypto assets and to gather intelligence for future scams. Deploying so many tools on a single device indicates a carefully planned targeted infiltration.
This incident is not isolated. By 2025, similar AI conference scams had caused losses exceeding $300 million; throughout the year, cyber operations related to North Korea stole approximately $2.02 billion in digital assets, a 51% increase. Chainalysis also pointed out that scam groups utilizing on-chain AI services are significantly more efficient than traditional methods.
As the barrier to deepfake technology continues to lower, the crypto industry faces unprecedented security challenges. Experts warn that online meetings involving funds and system permissions must strengthen multi-factor authentication and device isolation; otherwise, they could become the next attack vector.
Disclaimer: The information on this page may come from third parties and does not represent the views or opinions of Gate. The content displayed on this page is for reference only and does not constitute any financial, investment, or legal advice. Gate does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information and shall not be liable for any losses arising from the use of this information. Virtual asset investments carry high risks and are subject to significant price volatility. You may lose all of your invested principal. Please fully understand the relevant risks and make prudent decisions based on your own financial situation and risk tolerance. For details, please refer to
Disclaimer.
Related Articles
CoW Swap Issues Security Alert After Frontend Attack Detected by Blockaid
Blockaid has identified a frontend attack on CoW Swap, marking its domain as malicious. Users are advised to cease interactions, revoke wallet authorizations, and await further updates from the CoW Swap team.
GateNews2h ago
The Ethereum Foundation uses it too! The CoW Swap frontend was hacked, and DeFi leaders advise revoking approvals
The Ethereum DeFi platform CoW Swap experienced DNS hijacking on April 14, which may put users at risk of phishing. Although the protocol itself was not compromised, the risk of frontend attacks remains high. The industry recommends that users revoke approvals before taking any future actions. CoW Swap offers batch transaction functionality and protects against MEV attacks, and its security incident may affect the entire DeFi ecosystem.
ChainNewsAbmedia2h ago
Cowswap Frontend Under Attack, Users Urged to Revoke Permissions
Blockaid's security system detected a frontend attack on Cowswap, flagging the website COW.FI as malicious. Users are urged to revoke wallet permissions and refrain from interacting with the DApp.
GateNews5h ago
Polymarket reviews and weeds out early-stage projects in its ecosystem, targeting insider trading and market manipulation behaviors
Polymarket announced an audit of some of the onboarded startup projects that have been accused of using allegedly insider trading account information to steer users into making trades. The move is intended to strengthen compliance management and address external concerns about the risks of insider trading.
GateNews8h ago
In Q1 2026, Web3 projects suffered losses of over $460 million from hacks and scams, with phishing attacks leading the way.
Hacken’s report shows that in the first quarter of 2026, Web3 projects lost $464.5 million due to hacker attacks and scams, with phishing and social engineering attacks accounting for $306 million in losses. In addition, hardware wallet scams accounted for the bulk of the losses. Moreover, losses were also significant due to smart contract vulnerabilities and access control failures. In terms of regulation, the European legal framework has increased security monitoring requirements.
GateNews12h ago
RAVE’s hype surge triggers a flood of copycat coin mania, as FF and INX expose the “pump-and-dump” scheme
Recently, altcoins represented by RAVE have sparked a fierce investment craze, but some old star projects like FF and INX have used this wave of hype to carry out “pump-and-dump” operations—rapidly driving up coin prices to lure retail investors to buy, and then dumping them heavily, causing the price to plunge rapidly. Such behavior not only exposes the project team’s funding difficulties, but also damages investors’ trust. Investors need to stay alert to signals like abnormal short-term surges in order to avoid the risk of being manipulated by the market.
MarketWhisper15h ago
