US hacker commits large-scale theft of $ 243 million worth of bitcoins

A citizen of Connecticut, USA, who is suspected of organizing a large-scale bitcoin theft worth $ 243 million, pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering conspiracy and agreed to cooperate with US law enforcement. According to the investigation, Vir Chetal, along with two accomplices, Melon Lam and Jandiel Serrano, stole 4,100 BTC from a resident of Washington, D.C., last August.

The scheme consisted of an online attack using social engineering. One of the participants sent fake messages to the victims about attempts to access their crypto accounts, after which Chetal and Serrano made calls pretending to be employees of well-known technology companies to gain control of the accounts.

After the theft, the suspects spent the proceeds on luxury cars, jewelry, villa rentals, and nightclub parties. A week after the theft, an attempt was made to kidnap Cetal’s parents for ransom, counting on his large income from cryptocurrencies. However, the police quickly apprehended the kidnappers, thanks to the prompt response of eyewitnesses and the accidental presence of an FBI agent near the crime scene.

Investigators also found that Cetal may have been involved in up to 50 other similar cases, which resulted in more than $ 3 million in losses to victims between November 2023 and September 2024. He now faces up to 24 years in prison, a fine of $ 50,000 to $ 500,000, and an obligation to compensate the victims.