Genesis Creditor Suffers $243 Million Crypto Theft in Sophisticated Social Engineering Attack

On-chain detective ZachXBT has uncovered a major cryptocurrency theft targeting a Genesis creditor. On August 19, 2024, three hackers stole $243 million worth of crypto assets through a highly complex social engineering attack.

ZachXBT's investigation revealed that the attackers initially impersonated Google customer support, deceiving the victim over the phone and gaining access to their personal accounts. They then posed as Gemini exchange support staff, claiming the victim's account was compromised. This led the victim to reset their two-factor authentication and transfer funds from their Gemini account to a controlled wallet. Finally, the hackers tricked the victim into using AnyDesk remote desktop software to share their screen, allowing them to steal the private keys to their Bitcoin Core wallet.

ZachXBT has identified three main suspects: Veer Chetal (alias Wiz), Malone Iam (alias Greavys), and Jeandiel Serrano (alias Box). Veer reportedly received the largest share of the stolen funds, approximately $34.5 million.

Currently, over $9 million of the stolen funds have been frozen, with over $500,000 returned to the victim. Malone and Jeandiel have been arrested in Miami and Los Angeles respectively. Law enforcement expects to recover more funds during the arrest process, as significant transfers of funds were observed before and after the arrests.