Beware of phishing scams: 23-year-old scammer impersonates customer service to steal $16 million in crypto assets

【Blockchain Rhythm】 Recently exposed a large-scale online scam case. The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office in New York announced on December 21st that a 23-year-old local resident has been charged with orchestrating a carefully planned phishing scam. This individual targeted nearly 100 users of a major compliant platform, using the tactic of impersonating official customer service representatives to lure victims into transferring assets to his personal wallet—classic social engineering scam.

The story doesn’t end there. After obtaining the assets, this guy immediately used a mixer to launder the money, attempting to obscure the flow of funds. This is a typical multi-layered scam chain: phishing → transfer → money laundering, a one-stop operation.

The good news is that the police responded quickly. So far, approximately $105,000 in cash has been recovered, and $400,000 worth of cryptocurrency has been frozen. The exchange CEO also issued a statement, vowing to pursue legal responsibility for the scammer and not to show leniency.

This case serves as a warning to everyone: be vigilant against messages impersonating customer service. No legitimate platform will ask you to transfer funds via private messages or third-party channels. Protect your account passwords and verification codes, and don’t be fooled by sweet talk.