Islamic terrorist organizations caught using cryptocurrency to fiance attack

Washington Examiner:
The Justice Department announced the seizure of terrorism-related cryptocurrency on Thursday following the successful takedown of cyber-enabled finance networks operated by the Islamic State, Hamas’s al Qassam Brigades, and al Qaeda.
“These three terror finance campaigns all relied on sophisticated cyber-tools, including the solicitation of cryptocurrency donations from around the world,” the Justice Department said in a statement. “The action demonstrates how different terrorist groups have similarly adapted their terror finance activities to the cyber age. Each group used cryptocurrency and social media to garner attention and raise funds for their terror campaigns. Pursuant to judicially-authorized warrants, U.S. authorities seized millions of dollars, over 300 cryptocurrency accounts, four websites, and four Facebook pages all related to the criminal enterprise.”
The Justice Department, which has billed it the "largest ever seizure of terrorist organizations’ cryptocurrency accounts," also unsealed three civil forfeiture complaints totaling 87 pages detailing efforts by Homeland Security Investigations, the IRS Criminal Investigations, and the FBI to take down a host of terrorist websites and to seize numerous bank accounts and hundreds of cryptocurrency accounts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia also unsealed a 14-page criminal affidavit charging Turkish nationals Mehmet Akti and Husamettin Karatas for allegedly operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and engaging in money laundering, including to assist terrorist groups. And the Justice Department said ISIS engaged in coronavirus-related fraud to raise money for their terrorist operations.
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There is more.

This is important takedown of several bad guys who engage in mass murder attacks.  Hopefully they can also gain intelligence on the location of the terror groups so they can be dealt with.

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