DOJ Says North Korea Stole $400M in Crypto Using Deepfake Video Calls

North Korea stole crypto — The U.S. Department of Justice has accused North Korean operatives of stealing over $400 million in cryptocurrency through a sophisticated scheme involving deepfake video calls, according to a new report.

The FBI has identified the operation as “FaceStealer,” which uses AI-generated deepfakes and prerecorded footage of trusted contacts to deceive cryptocurrency industry employees. The targets are tricked into installing malware during these video calls, which then facilitates the theft of digital assets.

In a related action, the DOJ is also moving to seize approximately $1.2 billion in funds linked to the broader North Korean hacking campaign. This highlights the scale and state-backed nature of the cyber threats facing the crypto sector.

The case underscores the evolving tactics used by nation-state actors to exploit digital asset platforms and the increasing focus of U.S. law enforcement on tracing and recovering stolen crypto funds.