A Buckhead blockchain startup unknowingly hired four North Korean nationals who went on to steal $740,000 in a cryptocurrency fraud scheme, according to federal prosecutors.
U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg says the operatives posed as remote IT workers, gained trust, then exploited company systems. “The defendants stole approximately $740,000 from an Atlanta-based blockchain startup,” Hertzberg said.
Authorities say the scam is part of a broader effort by North Korea to fund its weapons program. The FBI has raided 29 “laptop farms” across 16 states in connection with the operation…