I knew about North Korean hackers—they still tricked me and got into my computer

A Fortune journalist was compromised by North Korean state-sponsored hackers who impersonated a crypto hedge fund contact via Telegram in March 2026. The incident demonstrates DPRK's sophisticated social engineering and phishing tactics targeting journalists and cryptocurrency figures. North Korea has accumulated $2 billion in stolen cryptocurrency in 2025 alone using similar deception methods including fake employment offers and deepfake video calls.