Chinese Police Arrest Hackers Behind $87 Million Cryptocurrency Theft

Chinese police have reportedly arrested three suspected hacked alleged to have stolen bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies worth $87 million.

According to a report in Xinhua, China’s state-owned press agency, police in the city of Xi’an in northern China first began investigating a complaint by a victim who alleged hackers had compromised his computer to steal 100 million yuan (approx. $15 million) in cryptocurrencies that included bitcoin, ethereum, and others.

A task force was set up and a preliminary investigation revealed that hackers had used remote hijacking techniques to gain access and control of cryptocurrency accounts belonging to the victim – only identified as Zhang – with nearly no footprints of the crime.

The investigation progressed and three months later, the task force was able to spot a suspect, named Zhou, with the help of ‘well-known’ internet companies in China. Authorities kept their distance and began tracking Zhou’s activities for a further two months. Before long, police identified two other accomplices by snooping in on Zhou’s communication. https://www.ccn.com/chinese-police-arrest-hackers-behind-87-million-cryptocurrency-theft/