Lazarus Group: Cybercrime, Crypto Heists, and What You Need to Know

When you hear about a Lazarus Group, a state-sponsored hacking collective linked to North Korea that specializes in cyberattacks and cryptocurrency theft. Also known as APT38, it has been tied to over $2 billion in digital asset thefts since 2017. This isn’t some random group of hackers in a basement. This is a well-funded, highly organized cyberwarfare unit operating under government orders, and crypto exchanges, DeFi protocols, and wallet users are their favorite targets.

The Lazarus Group doesn’t just break in — they plan for years. They use phishing emails disguised as job offers, fake crypto airdrops, and even compromised developer tools to slip malware into systems. Once inside, they move slowly, avoid detection, and drain wallets using complex money-laundering chains through mixers and cross-chain bridges. They’ve hit exchanges like Binance, KuCoin, and Ronin Network — the same networks you might use to trade tokens. And they don’t care if you’re a beginner or a pro. If you hold crypto, you’re a potential target.

What makes them dangerous isn’t just their skill — it’s their patience. While most scammers rush to cash out, Lazarus waits. They’ll sit in a network for months, mapping out security gaps, learning who has access, and finding the quietest path to the money. They’ve even stolen from projects that claimed to be "unhackable." Their attacks on the Ronin Network, a blockchain built for Axie Infinity that lost $625 million in 2022, proved that even well-funded DeFi platforms aren’t safe. And when they hit KuCoin, a major global exchange that lost $281 million in 2024, it wasn’t because of a weak password — it was because someone inside the company was compromised.

You won’t find Lazarus Group on Twitter. You won’t see their names on LinkedIn. But you’ll see their fingerprints in every fake airdrop, every suspicious wallet address, every "limited-time" token sale that looks too good to be true. That’s why posts on this page cover scams like fake PlayerMon PYM airdrops, misleading exchanges like FutureX Pro, and zombie coins like EDRCoin — they’re all part of the same ecosystem Lazarus exploits. They don’t create the scams, but they profit from the chaos they cause.

So what can you do? Stop trusting anonymous projects. Always check if a token has real trading volume. Never connect your wallet to a site you found through a YouTube ad. And if a crypto opportunity feels rushed, it’s probably a trap. The Lazarus Group thrives on haste and hype. Slow down. Verify. Ask questions. The next big heist won’t come from a hack — it’ll come from someone clicking "approve" without thinking.

Below, you’ll find real-world examples of crypto scams, exchange risks, and regulatory blind spots — all connected to the same threat landscape Lazarus Group exploits. These aren’t just stories. They’re warning signs you can’t afford to ignore.