Fake Coinbase Texts Lead to $900K Bitcoin Theft, US Seeks Seized Crypto
- A Massachusetts family trust’s beneficiary was tricked by texts mimicking Coinbase, leading to the theft of approximately $900,000 in bitcoin.
- The stolen bitcoin included two wallets containing a total of 33.7 BTC, with the Victim Trust wallet holding about 28.5 BTC.
- Investigators traced part of the stolen bitcoin, specifically 11.2 BTC, to a Binance account where it was converted into monero.
- The U.S. government is seeking forfeiture of approximately $110,270 in tether (USDT) seized from the Binance account.
- The Binance account was held in the name of Enrique Mora Morales and accessed by multiple devices between May and November.
Federal prosecutors have initiated a civil forfeiture action to recover cryptocurrency linked to fraudulent activities involving fake Coinbase communications that led to unauthorized access and theft from a family trust’s wallets.
The case highlights vulnerabilities in digital asset security and underscores ongoing efforts by authorities to trace and recover stolen assets through legal channels like civil forfeiture actions. Source
