Crypto scammer returns $34.7 million in stolen assets after victim offers bounty

The crypto scammer who stole 1,155 Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), equivalent to $70.5 million, has begun returning the funds, according to on-chain data.

Blockchain information steadfast Peckshield reported that the attacker had returned 50% of the stolen funds— astir 11,446.87 ETH worthy $34.7 million—to the victim’s code arsenic of property time.

10% bounty

This refund comes soon aft the scammer engaged with the unfortunate done respective on-chain messages implicit the past day.

On May 3, an unnamed crypto trader lost 1,155 WBTC through an address-poisoning phishing scheme. These illicit schemes typically lure individuals into transferring integer assets to fraudulent addresses owned by malicious actors.

Following the theft, the attacker swiftly converted the funds into 22,956 ETH and dispersed the integer assets crossed “a ample fig of wallets” to obfuscate the trail.

However, the unfortunate projected offering the perpetrator a 10% bounty successful speech for returning 90% of the stolen funds, cautioning that laundering the wealth would beryllium futile.

“We some cognize there’s nary mode to cleanable this funds. You volition beryllium traced. We besides some recognize the ‘sleep well’ operation wasn’t astir your motivation and ethical qualities. Nevertheless, we officially admin your close to the 10%. Send 90% back,” the unfortunate wrote.

On May 9, the attacker sent 51 ETH, worthy much than $150,000, to the victim, including a connection asking the unfortunate to supply a Telegram username wherever they could beryllium contacted.

Hacker’s profile

Blockchain information steadfast Slow Mist suggested that the attacker mightiness beryllium progressive successful respective different phishing attacks targeting the Tron and Ethereum blockchains.

The steadfast said it “observed that from April 19 to May 3, [an code associated with the hacker] initiated implicit 20 1000 tiny transactions, distributing tiny amounts of ETH to assorted addresses for phishing purposes.”

Slow Mist furthered that respective IPs suspected to beryllium utilized by the hacker originated from mobile stations successful Hong Kong

The station Crypto scammer returns $34.7 cardinal successful stolen assets aft unfortunate offers bounty appeared archetypal connected CryptoSlate.