Trust can be a double-edged sword, especially in the realm of cryptocurrency.
Tom, a former CEO of a burgeoning crypto project, discovered a harsh reality when he unwittingly connected to the WiFi network of his so-called best friend.
His full identity is concealed due to AMLBot’s investigation policy.
After relocating from Europe to Asia and selling his stake in a crypto company for $500,000, Tom believed he was embarking on a new chapter in life.
Little did he know that the bond he thought he had forged would lead to the loss of nearly all his savings.
It happened on one fateful evening, a heavy rainstorm left his phone water-damaged, setting the stage for a betrayal that would cost him dearly.
After the storm, Tom managed to revive his phone and access his cryptocurrency wallet by re-entering his seed phrase.
To his horror, he discovered that $450,000 — his entire life savings — had vanished.
Tom confessed during a video call with Decrypt,
“I come from a non-drinking family, and I decided that day that I was going to start drinking. And I was drinking heavily for like, a week and a half. I was asking ChatGPT about fucking ways to make money because I wasn’t planning on doing any work.”
This unfortunate turn of events was no accident; it was a calculated act of betrayal orchestrated by his so-called best friend.
The investigation revealed that the friend had manipulated the situation by enticing Tom to connect to his WiFi network, which allowed him to gain control over Tom’s device.
Source: Unsplash
“Oh no, I can’t believe that would happen to you. Keep me updated on the story,” Tom recalled his friend saying, all while he was plotting to exploit the situation further.
The “Proximity Breach” tactic, as identified by the anti-money laundering firm AMLBot, takes advantage of the victim’s trust in those closest to them.
In just three months, AMLBot reported seven similar cases, including one where a victim’s girlfriend stole 13 Bitcoin and another where a brother absconded with $300,000.
In desperation, Tom turned to AMLBot for assistance in recovering his lost funds.
The firm promptly tracked the stolen money back to a Binance account.
However, Binance maintains strict confidentiality regarding the identities of account holders and the amounts frozen in such cases.
Therefore, Tom and AMLBot had to painstakingly piece together the events leading up to the theft.
This investigative effort revealed that the best friend had intentionally compromised Tom’s device.
Anmol Jain, AMLBot's lead investigator, took the initiative to contact the scammer under a false identity.
“He was actually a real estate consultant. So I told him I was looking to invest in real estate,” Jain explained.
Through this guise, Jain gained the scammer’s Telegram account, where he applied pressure, threatening to report him to the authorities.
“I told him I was actually an investigator with AMLBot and we know what you did to your friend Tom,” Jain asserted, leading the scammer to crack within 15 to 20 minutes.
Ultimately, Tom was able to recover $380,000 of his funds, but the scammer had already spent the remaining money.
The two men reached a settlement for the final $70,000, which would be paid over the following months.
Reflecting on the betrayal, Tom remarked, “He said that greed just overcame him. He just lost control. It’s the first time anyone’s ever robbed anything from me that isn’t a lighter. I’m just very surprised.”
This harrowing experience serves as a cautionary tale about the vulnerabilities inherent in digital currency transactions and the dire consequences of misplaced trust.
Security experts warn that individuals should be vigilant about their online practices, particularly when accessing crypto accounts via public WiFi networks.
In a world where proximity can easily become a weapon, the need for caution has never been more pressing.
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