2018-7-14 23:57 |
Russian agents allegedly used Bitcoin to fund the DNC hack
Among the many new details in today’s indictment (PDF) of 12 Russian intelligence officers for cyberattacks meant to interfere with the US presidential election in 2016, one in particular should stand out to techies: the defendants allegedly used Bitcoin to fund the operation.
Cat and mouse: Though the indictment says they used hundreds of different e-mail accounts with fake names to handle Bitcoin payments and cover their tracks, investigators linked messages from “several dedicated email accounts” to corresponding transactions on the Bitcoin blockchain.
According to the indictment, the defendants also sometimes facilitated Bitcoin payments on the same computers they used to “conduct their hacking activity.”
The takeaway: If you weren’t convinced that cryptocurrencies are a magnet for would-be money launderers, this should help.
Beyond that, though: Bitcoin is not anonymous!
Image credit:
Chip Somodevilla | Getty
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