$330M Bitcoin social engineering theft victim is elderly US citizen
An elderly US individual suffered a $330 million Bitcoin heist, marking the fifth-largest crypto hack in history. The attacker employed advanced social engineering to access the victim's wallet, transferring 3,520 Bitcoin on April 28, 2025. The stolen Bitcoin was quickly laundered through over six exchanges and converted into Monero, complicating tracking efforts. The laundering process involved over 300 wallets and 20 exchanges, with $284 million funneled through these chains. The attacker’s rapid conversion of Bitcoin into Monero caused a 50% price surge for the token. Experts noted the sophisticated laundering tactics used, which do not match known hacker groups, indicating a high level of premeditation. Investigators have alerted exchanges to freeze potential funds. In Q1 2025, hackers stole over $1.6 billion in crypto, with a significant portion attributed to North Korean hackers. Recommendations for safeguarding against such attacks include using multisignature wallets and hardware-based cold storage.
