A hacking group with possible ties to Israel has hacked one of the largest crypto exchanges in Iran, resulting in a loss of nearly $90 million (almost €80 million). The same hackers attacked a state bank on Tuesday, preventing people from accessing their money.
The anti-Iranian hacking group Predatory Sparrow claims on X to be behind the hack of crypto exchange Nobitex. This is one of the largest platforms for trading digital currencies in Iran.
The group threatens to make the exchange’s source code and internal data public within 24 hours, which would expose customers’ personal data.
According to the hacking group, the crypto platform circumvents international sanctions. It also alleges that crypto transactions are used to make money available for terrorist purposes. The attack is mainly intended to convey a political message.
The hackers themselves do not have access to the money ‘seized’ in the hack. Elliptic, a platform that investigates crypto transactions, was able to determine this from the way the hackers moved the cryptocurrencies.
Patients unable to pay hospital costs due to hack
The hacking group claims to have crippled the systems of Bank Sepah on Tuesday. The bank is said to be strongly linked to the Revolutionary Guard in Iran. The attack prevented Iranians from accessing the money in their bank accounts, and several branches of the bank had to close.
An Iranian doctor tells BBC News that patients are unable to pay their hospital costs because they cannot access their money. One of the patients was reportedly treated for free.
Predatory Sparrow is known for carrying out cyberattacks on Iran. For example, an attack in 2021 prevented Iranians from refueling in large parts of the country.
Although the Israeli government has never officially confirmed that the hacking group is in the service of Israel, several Israeli media outlets report that the group is “linked” to the country.