Published on: September 26, 2024
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently arrested two men for their alleged involvement in crypto scams.
The thieves in question are two US nationals, Malone Lam, 20, and Jeandiel Serrano, 21. Lam used the screen names “AnneHathaway,” and “$$$.” Serrano went by “VersaceGod” and “@SkidStar.” Both were charged with conspiracy to steal and launder Bitcoin.
Together they stole thousands of Bitcoins, including 3100 (currently equivalent to over $230 million) from a single person. Investigators believe that the attack began on Aug. 18. The hackers tried using several cybersecurity tools to cover their tracks. The duo used VPNs and pass-through wallets to mask their identities, but authorities were still able to track them down.
They stole the funds by pretending to be Google Support. Using a spoofed phone number, they called the victim and tricked him into sharing his screen. From there, they walked him through the process of resetting his 2FA — this left his account vulnerable to an attack. By the end, they had access to his crypto wallet and drained hundreds of millions of Bitcoin from it.
“Lam and Serrano then allegedly spent the laundered cryptocurrency proceeds on international travel, nightclubs, luxury automobiles, watches, jewelry, designer handbags, and rental homes in Los Angeles and Miami,” the Attorney Office for the District of Columbia said.
Online cybersecurity and cryptocurrency investigators discovered that the duo didn’t take too many precautions. Soon after their arrest, leaked videos of the pair recording their crimes on Discord surfaced. They recorded themselves and bragged in a group chat while stealing thousands of Bitcoin from their target.
Lam also had a reputation for giving women expensive gifts to garner their favor, including popular online influencers. Skylar Harrison, a blogger and podcast host, reported that she was gifted an expensive handbag from Lan. Other unnamed sources claim that Lan gifted one woman a pink lambourghini and 3 Birkin bags.
These displays of wealth ultimately caused the pair to get caught.