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In a warning reported on September 4, 2024, the FBI said North Korean threat actors were targeting people connected to cryptocurrency and decentralized finance (DeFi) businesses with researched, individualized social-engineering schemes. Fake job approaches, investment pitches, and familiar-looking contacts could be used to build trust before delivering malware. The practical rule for staff is simple: verify unexpected approaches independently, and never run unknown code on a company device.
How the reported attacks worked
SecurityWeek reported that the FBI described attackers researching prospective victims and tailoring scenarios to them. Actors allegedly sustained conversations to establish trust, then introduced malware in a context that appeared routine. Some reportedly impersonated people a target might know, using realistic imagery drawn from social media or fabricated images of time-sensitive events.
The reported lures included offers of employment or investment. In a related case detailed by Mandiant, an alleged North Korean actor contacted a cryptocurrency exchange engineer about a job on LinkedIn, then sent a ZIP file presented as a Python coding challenge. The challenge delivered malware.
The FBI warning was reported by SecurityWeek on September 4, 2024. Its article linked to an FBI/IC3 advisory, but that link returned 404 when checked for this coverage; the warning’s details here are therefore attributed to SecurityWeek’s report rather than a directly available FBI advisory. These September 2024 sources do not establish whether the FBI has issued a successor warning or describe activity in 2026.
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Should I run a coding test on my work laptop?
No—not if it requires running unknown code, installing an unfamiliar application, or using a non-standard package on an employer device. A coding challenge can be the delivery mechanism, not merely an interview exercise. Do not open or execute unexpected files from a recruiter or supposed colleague on a company machine.
Ask your recruiter or manager to confirm the process and use only an environment approved by your organization. If you already downloaded or ran something suspicious, stop interacting with it and contact your security or IT team immediately. Follow your employer’s incident-response process; do not try to investigate or clean up a potentially compromised device on your own unless instructed.
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How can I verify an unexpected job or investment offer?
Use a separate, trusted channel to confirm both the person and the request. For example, contact the purported colleague using a number or address already in your company directory—not details supplied in the suspicious message. If the approach claims to come from a recruiter, verify it through the company’s independently located careers or recruiting channel.
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- Requests to run code or applications on company-owned devices, including interview tests built around unfamiliar packages.
- Offers of employment or investment that arrive unexpectedly or lead quickly to requests involving company systems or cryptocurrency.
- Pressure to move the conversation to another messaging platform.
- Unsolicited contacts containing links or attachments.
- Requests for cryptocurrency-wallet information.
- Images, urgent events, or personal details that make a contact seem familiar but cannot be verified independently.
Do not share wallet information or follow links and attachments merely because the sender appears familiar. Report suspicious recruiting or investment approaches to your security team through the organization’s approved channel.
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What should crypto and DeFi companies do?
Employee caution helps, but it cannot stop every stage of an intrusion. SecurityWeek relayed the FBI’s recommendations to establish identity-verification methods, avoid sharing cryptocurrency-wallet information, prohibit pre-employment tests or code execution on company-owned devices, use multifactor authentication (MFA), keep business communications on closed platforms, and limit access to sensitive network documentation and code repositories.
- Make verification routine: Give staff a known, independent way to confirm recruiters, coworkers, investors, and unusual requests.
- Keep code tests out of daily-use work environments: Establish an approved interview process and safe environment rather than asking candidates or employees to run supplied code on company devices.
- Apply least privilege: Restrict access to sensitive documentation and repositories to people who need it, and review access when roles change.
- Use MFA and protected business communications: These reduce some account and impersonation risks, but do not prevent malware execution or secure a compromised device by themselves.
- Make reporting easy: Tell staff where to report suspicious approaches and what to do if they have opened a file or run code.
A physical FIDO2 security key is one possible MFA option, not a requirement named in the reporting and not a substitute for the organization’s chosen controls. Follow company policy when selecting or using MFA.
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How this fits with other Web3 attack paths
Tailored social engineering is not interchangeable with every attack against a crypto business. Mandiant’s September 2024 analysis describes other routes, including supply-chain compromises and smart-contract exploits. The initial weakness and appropriate defenses differ:
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| Attack path | How it starts | Relevant defenses |
|---|---|---|
| Tailored social engineering | A fake job or investment approach, or impersonation, builds trust and persuades a target to run supplied code or follow a malicious link. | Verify identity independently, refuse unknown code on company devices, report the approach, and limit access to sensitive systems. |
| Supply-chain compromise | Access or malware comes through a trusted supplier or software relationship and can affect downstream organizations. | Monitor supplier access and investigate unexpected endpoint or account activity. |
| Smart-contract exploit | A weakness in contract logic—such as reentrancy or a flash-loan attack—can be used to steal assets without deceiving an employee through a fake-recruiting scheme. | Review and test contract code with controls suited to the contract and its deployment. |
Mandiant’s 2024 analysis said more than $12 billion in digital assets had been stolen across hundreds of reported Web3 heists since 2020, attributing that figure to Chainalysis’ 2024 Crypto Crime Report. That figure covers reported Web3 heists; it is not a measure of losses caused by the specific social-engineering activity described in the FBI warning.
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Sources and scope
- SecurityWeek, Ionut Arghire, “FBI: North Korea Aggressively Hacking Cryptocurrency Firms,” September 4, 2024.
- Mandiant / Google Cloud, Robert Wallace, Blas Kojusner, and Joseph Dobson, “DeFied Expectations — Examining Web3 Heists,” September 3, 2024.
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