The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) seized cryptocurrency and digital assets worth $1,091,453 at the time of confiscation, on January 9, 2024, from the BlackSuit ransomware gang.
The authorities tracked the crypto as the cybercriminals moved it repeatedly across virtual currency exchange accounts, depositing and withdrawing it to obfuscate the trace. Eventually, the amount was frozen when it reached a cooperating exchange.
The action was made possible thanks to evidence collected by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia on or about June 21, 2024.
The confiscated amount was part of a ransom payment made on April 4, 2023, in exchange for a decryptor. The unnamed victim paid the ransomware actors 49.3 Bitcoin, valued at about $1,445,000 at the time.
This asset seizure announcement comes shortly after the law enforcement authorities in the U.S. seized BlackSuit’s extortion portals on the dark web, in an international action codenamed ‘Operation Checkmate.’
This law enforcement operation severely disrupted the operations of the cybercrime group, which is behind the BlackSuit and also the Royal, Quantum, and, more recently, the Chaos ransomware platforms.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) highlighted that the Royal and BlackSuit were responsible for 450 successful attacks in the United States, including organizations in healthcare, education, government, energy, and public safety sectors.
“Combined, the groups have received more than $370 million in ransom payments, based on present-day valuations of cryptocurrency,” stated HSI in a press release late last week, highlighting the scale of financial damage these cybercriminals have caused.
On July 28, FBI Dallas announced the seizure of 20 Bitcoins, valued at approximately $2.4 million, from a cryptocurrency address belonging to a prominent member of the Chaos ransomware group.
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil complaint seeking the forfeiture of the amount from the FBI.
The seizure of crime proceeds is crucial in the fight against ransomware, especially when operators and affiliates aren’t apprehended during law enforcement crackdowns, and remain free to use those funds to rebuild their infrastructure and recruit new affiliates.
46% of environments had passwords cracked, nearly doubling from 25% last year.
Get the Picus Blue Report 2025 now for a comprehensive look at more findings on prevention, detection, and data exfiltration trends.
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