Google Support Impersonation: Duo Arrested in Massive $243 Million Crypto Scam

Two individuals have been apprehended in connection with a Google support impersonation scam that resulted in the theft of over $240 million in cryptocurrency from a single unsuspecting victim, according to a recent report.

The report, shared on Twitter by the user ZachXBT, revealed that his intervention led to the successful resolution of the case and the arrest of two key figures, Malone Lam and Jeandiel Serrano, among three suspects involved. The third individual is identified as Veer Chetal. The trio were nicknamed “Greavys,” “Wiz,” and “Box,” respectively.

The attack began on August 19, 2024, when the group targeted a Gemini exchange user by spoofing a phone number to impersonate Google support.

The perpetrators posed as Gemini support agents, contacting the victim and falsely claiming that his account had been hacked. They convinced the victim to change his two-factor authentication (2FA) and transfer his funds to a “secure” wallet, which was actually under their control. By guiding the victim through a screen-sharing session using AnyDesk, they were able to access his Bitcoin Core private keys.

According to ZachXBT, a total of 59.34 BTC and 14.88 BTC were transferred from the victim’s Gemini account at 1:48 AM and 2:30 AM UTC on August 19.

ZachXBT also presented video evidence of the attack.

After the funds were transferred out of the victim’s account, they were split among the trio and moved through over 15 different exchanges to obscure the trail. To further eliminate traces of the stolen funds, the attackers swapped the cryptocurrency between Bitcoin, Monero, Litecoin, and Ethereum.

ZachXBT revealed that Veer, also known as “Wiz,” received the largest share of the stolen funds. Wiz laundered the money with the help of his associate, Light/Dark (Aakaash), using eXch and Thorswap. Like Wiz, Aakaash’s identity was exposed during the screen-sharing session.

Meanwhile, “Greavys” (Malone), who seems to enjoy a flashy lifestyle, spent his share of the stolen funds partying with friends in Los Angeles and Miami, where he allegedly spent $500 per night and purchased over 10 luxury cars

Jeandiel Serrano, who played the role of the fake Gemini representative, was linked to $18 million of the stolen funds. He is said to be an active user of Discord and Telegram.

A release from the United States Attorney’s Office confirmed the fraudulent activity, announcing the indictment of Malone Lam, 20, and Jeandiel Serrano, 21, for stealing and laundering more than $230 million in cryptocurrency from a Singaporean citizen.