The U.S. Department of Justice is pursuing the return of $5.2 million in Bitcoin and a sports car from a teenage hacker who stole the funds from crypto executives four years ago. Ahmad Wagaafe Hared, along with two accomplices, engaged in a SIM-swapping scheme between 2016 and 2018, where they deceived cell phone carriers to gain control of targets’ phones. The Silicon Valley area, home to numerous cryptocurrency companies, was targeted by the hackers.
Hared, known as ‘winblo’ in the darknet, was active in an online marketplace where valuable social media accounts were sold. Using stolen funds, he purchased a BMW i8 worth approximately $150,000. The hackers also attempted to extort their victims by calling them after taking control of their accounts.
The scheme was uncovered by the FBI in 2019, leading to the arrest of Hared and his accomplice, Matthew Gene Ditman. The pair are currently awaiting sentencing. Recently, a federal judge approved an order for Hared to return the stolen Bitcoin and surrender the sports car.
The case highlights the DOJ’s efforts to recover stolen cryptocurrency and serves as a reminder of the risks associated with SIM-swapping and social engineering attacks in the crypto industry.
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