South Korea Extradites Lithuanian Hacker in 18M Crypto Theft Case

pSouth Korea extradites Lithuanian hacker who stole 18M in cryptocurrency using fake Windows software ppSouth Korea has successfully extradited a 29yearold Lithuanian national accused of stealing approximately 18 million in digital assets through sophisticated malware The National Office of Investigation NOI announced the extradition on Sunday following a fiveyear investigation that spanned multiple countriesppThe suspect allegedly used malicious software to redirect cryptocurrency transactions from intended recipients to his own wallets His operation targeted users across South Korea and several other nations between April 2020 and January 2023ppAuthorities revealed the hacker distributed malware called KMSAuto which masqueraded as a Microsoft Windows activation tool The software attracted users seeking to bypass licensing requirements for the Windows operating systemppInvestigators determined the malware was downloaded over 2 million times globally Once installed it employed memoryhacking techniques to swap cryptocurrency wallet addresses during transactions automatically The manipulation occurred in realtime redirecting digital assets to the hackers control without the victims knowledgeppThe scheme specifically targeted individuals using unlicensed Windows activation tools More than 3100 cryptocurrency wallets worldwide fell victim to the infection The hacker successfully intercepted 840 transactions accumulating 17 billion won in stolen digital assetsppEight South Korean nationals lost a combined 16 million won to the operation The investigation began in August 2020 when a victim reported losing one Bitcoin valued at 12 million won at the time The victim had sent the cryptocurrency to a known wallet address only to discover it had been redirected elsewhereppKorean authorities traced the stolen assets through domestic exchanges to six different countries The investigation expanded as seven additional Korean victims came forward with similar complaintsppPolice identified the suspect through extensive digital forensics and international collaboration In December of the previous year Korean authorities coordinated with Lithuanias Ministry of Justice prosecutors and police to execute a raid on the suspects residenceppLithuanian officials seized 22 items during the operation including multiple mobile phones laptops and other electronic devices Korean police requested a red notice from Interpol to facilitate the suspects eventual prosecutionppDont miss out and join our newsletter to get the latest wellcurated news from the crypto worldppppNewton GitongappNewton Gitonga covers cryptocurrencies blockchain and digital finance He specializes in breaking down complex trends with clear datadriven reporting His work focuses on market analysis technical insights and the evolving role of altcoins in shaping global marketspphttpscoinpapercom13426hackerwhostolemillionsinsecondsfinallycaughtppRead more aboutppCoinpaper key linksppNewsppMiscppStoriesppLearnppPopularpp 2026 Coinpaperp