The FBI said federal charges against three computer programmers linked to the North Korean government illustrate the appeal of cryptocurrency markets and exchanges for theft and fraud.

Details: The agency said the series of charges reflect how virtual currencies' assumed anonymity, relative lack of transparency, and varying regulations have made them the payment of choice in ransomware attacks.

More: CoinDesk separately reported that fraudulent crypto wallets are finding their way onto Apple and Google app stores and scamming users out of funds.