The WannaCry hackers have begun laundering their ransoms — totaling roughly $143,000 in bitcoin — through a Swiss cryptocurrency exchange called ShapeShift, Forbes reports.
Blockchain tracking firms Neutrino and Chainalysis told Forbes the hackers are using a cryptocurrency converter to move bitcoin anonymously. They have begun sending portions of their funds to ShapeShift, which converts it to Monero — a different type of cryptocurrency that is more difficult to track — experts told Forbes. Since ShapeShift doesn't require users create an account, it is completely anonymous.
The hackers have converted 13.5 of their total 51.9 bitcoin ransoms, Chainalysis Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer Jonathan Levin told Forbes. Last week, Elliptic, a London-based startup that helps law enforcement track criminal cryptocurrency activity, told CNBC the hackers withdrew a total of 52.2 bitcoins, totaling more than $143,000, from online wallets..
ShapeShift has taken measures to blacklist all addresses associated with the WannaCry attackers and are working with law enforcement, a company spokesperson told Forbes.
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