Coinbase hackers are mocking investigators on the blockchain. They left a public insult and a meme on the Ethereum blockchain. The hackers also moved over $45 million in cryptocurrencies through THORChain.
The hackers behind the Coinbase data breach are taunting investigators. They used the Ethereum transaction message field to leave a note that said “L bozo” with a link to a YouTube video of NBA legend James Worthy smoking a cigar. The blockchain data links the sender to the same people who hacked Coinbase.
This incident happened after Coinbase revealed that hackers had accessed customer data. The hackers got names, addresses, account balances, and other sensitive information from nearly 70,000 users. They tried to blackmail Coinbase for $20 million in Bitcoin to keep the breach quiet. Coinbase refused to pay and instead offered a $20 million reward to catch the hackers.
Investigator ZachXBT reported on the hack. He said the hackers used social engineering scams to trick customers into giving up their account info. Coinbase estimates it will cost between $180 million and $400 million to reimburse affected users.
The hackers are using THORChain to move millions of dollars in cryptocurrencies. They converted $22 million in Ethereum to the stablecoin DAI. Another address linked to the hackers converted $23 million in Ethereum to DAI. This brings the total to over $45 million in laundered digital assets.
The Coinbase breach has raised concerns about user safety. Founder of TechCrunch, Michael Arrington, warned that the stolen data could put users at risk of physical harm. The hackers didn’t get passwords, but they got enough info to target users with social engineering attacks.
Coinbase is offering to reimburse users who were affected by the breach. The company is also working to improve its security measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.