The US Treasury has blacklisted several Iran-linked Bitcoin addresses allegedly used in ransomware attacks.
The US Treasury Department included nine people and six Bitcoin addresses on the list.
US Treasury Blacklists Bitcoin Addresses
According to the press release by the ministry, these addresses are linked to Amir Hossein, Nikaeen Ravari and Ahmad Khatibi Aghada, who are members of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and focus on developing ransomware.
The sanction came after government officials accused three people of hacking. The country’s Ministry of Justice, Mansour Ahmadi, Nikaaeen Ravari and Aghada allegedly hacked into hundreds of US companies’ systems and installed ransomware.
The US Treasury said these individuals targeted hospitals, transportation companies and schools with ransomware. He also accused this group of attacking an electricity distribution company in October 2021.
Blacklisted wallets do not currently contain Bitcoin. Wallets were emptied between last October and May.
According to chain data, most of the addresses have been inactive since 2021.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has included several Iranian officials on its SDN list in recent days regarding alleged cyberattacks by members of the Iranian government.
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