In a major breakthrough, authorities have apprehended two individuals involved in a sophisticated $243 million cryptocurrency heist targeting a Genesis creditor. The arrests came after an intense investigation into a social engineering scheme orchestrated by a group of cybercriminals. This elaborate scheme involved compromising personal accounts and exploiting cryptocurrency platforms to steal the victim’s funds.
The investigation revealed that the heist began on August 19th when the attackers impersonated Google Support via a spoofed phone number, gaining access to the victim’s personal accounts. They followed up with a second call pretending to be Gemini support, claiming the victim’s account was compromised. These tactics, known as social engineering, successfully convinced the victim to reset their two-factor authentication (2FA) and transfer funds to a compromised wallet. The attackers then gained access to the victim’s private keys using AnyDesk, a remote desktop tool.
With control over the funds, the cybercriminals rapidly moved $243 million across multiple wallets, distributing the stolen funds among individuals involved in the scheme. According to onchain investigator ZachXBT, the stolen funds were transferred between various cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, and Monero, through at least 15 different exchanges.
Key figures in the crime, identified as Greavys (Malone Iam), Wiz (Veer Chetal), and Box (Jeandiel Serrano), played distinct roles in the operation. Wiz accidentally leaked his full name during a screen-sharing session, revealing his identity to investigators. Box, posing as a Gemini exchange representative, left a trail linking him to the stolen funds through reused profile pictures and wallet addresses. Authorities were able to track the criminals’ movements thanks to open-source intelligence (OSINT), as Greavys flaunted his newly acquired wealth on social media. His lavish lifestyle, including spending $250,000 to $500,000 per night in clubs and gifting luxury Birkin bags, ultimately led to his capture.
The investigation, involving a collaborative effort between Binance Security, CFInvestigators, and zeroshadow_io, resulted in the freezing of over $9 million in stolen funds. Additionally, $500,000 has already been returned to the victim. These efforts culminated in the arrests of both Box and Greavys in Miami and Los Angeles.
As such incidents become increasingly prevalent, discussions about enhancing cybersecurity and implementing regulatory measures in the digital asset space are expected to take center stage at Benzinga’s Future of Digital Assets event on November 19th.
