North Korean Hackers Steal Crypto and Data from Gift Card Company

A popular gift card company that accepts cryptocurrency has been hacked by North Korean cybercriminals, exposing thousands of customer records and stealing digital money.

Bitrefill, a platform where people can buy gift cards using Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, announced that hackers broke into their systems on March 1, 2026. The company believes the attack was carried out by the Lazarus Group, a notorious hacking organization linked to North Korea.

Here's what the hackers stole: • Customer data from 18,500 purchases (including email addresses and payment information) • Cryptocurrency from the company's digital wallets (hot wallets are online storage for crypto) • Gift card inventory through fake purchases

The attack started when hackers infected an employee's laptop with malware (malicious software). This gave them access to passwords and security keys, allowing them to break into Bitrefill's main systems. The hackers then drained cryptocurrency wallets and manipulated the gift card system before the company shut everything down.

Bitrefill has notified affected customers by email and says it will cover all losses from its own funds. The company has been operating for over 10 years and remains profitable despite this setback. They've also strengthened their security measures to prevent future attacks.

The Lazarus Group has previously targeted other crypto companies, stealing millions of dollars. This incident highlights why cryptocurrency security remains a major concern for both companies and individual users.

This is an AI-generated summary. Read the original article at: https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2026/03/18/bitrefill-accuses-north-korea-linked-lazarus-hacker-group-for-compromising-18-500-purchase-records