Brooklyn man indicted for allegedly stealing $16 million from Coinbase users through phishing scheme

Ronald Spektor, a 23-year-old man from Brooklyn, has been indicted on 31 counts, including first-degree grand larceny and money laundering, for allegedly running a phishing scheme that defrauded approximately 100 Coinbase users of about $16 million in cryptocurrency between April 2023 and December 2024. Prosecutors claim Spektor posed as a Coinbase representative to trick victims into sending assets to wallets he controlled, subsequently laundering the funds through mixers, swapping services, and gambling platforms. Spektor, who operated under the handle "@lolimfeelingevil" and ran a Telegram channel where he allegedly boasted about his thefts, pleaded not guilty, though authorities noted he was planning to flee. Coinbase, the Brooklyn DA's Virtual Currency Unit, and blockchain investigator ZachXBT collaborated on the investigation, leading to the recovery of $105,000 in cash and $400,000 in crypto so far. Spektor's father is now considered an active suspect.

(Source：The Block)