Coinbase fake scam steals more than $6.5 million

According to a new investigation from cryptocurrency tracing expert ZachXBT, scammer Ronald Spektor faked support from Coinbase as part of a phishing campaign....

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According to a new investigation from cryptocurrency tracing expert ZachXBT, scammer Ronald Spektor faked support from Coinbase as part of a phishing campaign. Last October, he stole at least $6.5 million.

However, Spektor’s movements became deadlocked; More than half of the money from this heist remains untraceable, along with accomplices and other victims.

Coinbase Fake Scammers

A new investigation from expert ZachXBT has exposed one phishing campaign large, stealing at least 6.5 million USD in the past month. Scammer Ronald Spektor impersonated Coinbase support to lure victims. A victim notified ZachXBT after losing this huge sum of money, and Zach quickly investigated the on-chain data.

Although overall cryptocurrency thefts are decreasing, sophisticated scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Spektor’s efforts fall within this category, due to the scale of the damage and extensive security measures. Specifically, he was able to conceal his movements at least partly before Zach made the investigation public.

“Multiple data leaks have made Ronald’s information public… this links to other leaks containing his alleged full name. Unfortunately, this incident did not have a happy ending. It’s still unclear who Ronald’s accomplices are… as Ledger screenshots only show $3.1 million of the $6.5 million stolen,” ZachXBT confirm.

To cover his tracks, Spektor deleted many social media accounts, which were valuable sources of incriminating material. Scammers have left the TON ecosystem en masse, but Spektor remains an active Telegram user. The TON address connected to his profile was used for money laundering. Both his Telegram and X accounts, however, have now been closed.

A Wallet Related to Scam, Posted on Spektor’s Telegram Profile. Source: ZachXBT

The scammer used this wallet to make multiple Coinbase transactions, implying an unknown number of victims. Unfortunately, Spektor’s trail appears to have gone cold. ZachXBT did not release any information about leads related to the unknown amount of money or Spektor’s still-at-large accomplices.

Even so, this public inquiry may lead to new information. Earlier this month, OpSec’s CEO and entire core team resigned following an investigation by ZachXBT. Zach detected some suspicious activity from the company owner, which reinforced the employees’ own suspicions. These employees came forward weeks after Zach made his findings public.