Hyundai Offices Bitcoin Blackmail: 13 Bitcoin Demanded

South Korea's leading industrial group Hyundai faced a major security alarm due to cyber threats on December 19. Emails sent to the Seoul offices of Hyundai Group and Hyundai Motor Group demanded a ransom of 13 Bitcoin. The emails warned that bomb attacks would take place if the payment was not made.

This situation was swiftly evaluated by the South Korean police, and special operations teams along with bomb disposal experts conducted thorough searches in the offices. It was announced that no explosives or suspicious devices were found as a result of the inspections. As a security measure, a temporary evacuation was implemented for the safety of employees, and the process was managed in a controlled manner.

It has been noted that the threats against Hyundai are not a singular incident, as other major technology companies have faced similar situations. Important firms in the country such as Samsung, KT, Kakao, and Naver have also reported receiving similar bomb threat messages. Authorities are investigating whether these threats are interconnected while considering the possibility that the same person or group is behind the incidents.

Police sources state that the use of Bitcoin in ransom demands aims to conceal the perpetrators' traces. It was announced that the investigation is being carried out from multiple angles, and special teams have been assigned by the South Korean police to identify the perpetrators through digital traces and cryptocurrency transfers. Authorities emphasized that companies should be cautious against extortion-related messages and should communicate quickly with official authorities.