Federal prosecutors charged 23-year-old Ronald Spektor in a long-running social-engineering scheme that impersonated Coinbase customer-support staff and drained roughly $15 million from about 100 U.S. victims. Investigators allege funds were laundered through online gambling and coin-swapping services; Spektor has pleaded not guilty and faces grand larceny, money-laundering and related charges.

Prosecutors say Ronald Spektor ran an organized social-engineering operation that targeted Coinbase users by posing as official customer-care representatives and persuading victims to disclose recovery seed phrases and transfer crypto. According to the criminal complaint reported by Business Insider, investigators estimate roughly $15 million was stolen from about 100 U.S. victims across a prolonged campaign. Law enforcement traced flow of proceeds through online gambling platforms and coin-swapping services; authorities allege the laundering network obscured destinations and converted assets to fiat or alternative tokens. Spektor, a 23-year-old Brooklyn resident, pleaded not guilty and is charged with grand larceny, money laundering and related offenses. Prosecutors emphasized coordination between investigative units to map transaction histories and link accounts used to take custody of stolen funds. The case highlights persistent vulnerabilities around custodial recovery phrases, the effectiveness of impersonation tactics against support channels, and the role of onramps and offramps in enabling high-volume crypto theft. The matter remains pending in federal court, with prosecutors pursuing asset-tracing and potential restitution for victims.