Morning Edition · Saturday, September 19, 2026Published at 1:45 AM EDT · New York

Japan and the FBI Tie $10.7 Million of Crypto Theft to a North Korean Fake-Recruitment Campaign

The WaterPlum malware reached more than 30,000 devices in over 100 countries, days after the United States Treasury sanctioned an Iranian exchange over bitcoin transfers.

Japan's National Police Agency and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have attributed a long-running theft campaign to WaterPlum, a group they link to North Korea. The malware reached more than 30,000 devices across ove…