- A scammer behind a $71M crypto theft has returned a portion of the stolen funds and reached out to the victim via Ethereum blockchain messaging.
- The scammer returned 51 ETH, worth approximately $151.6K, and requested the victim’s Telegram contact details.
- This unusual interaction has sparked discussions about the potential for negotiation and the traceability of stolen crypto funds.
A crypto scammer returns a portion of stolen funds and contacts the victim via Ethereum blockchain messaging, hinting at potential negotiation. The scammer, who stole $71M in WBTC, returned 51 ETH and requested the victim’s Telegram contact details.
Scammer Returns 51 ETH and Requests Victim’s Telegram Details
The scammer responsible for a $71M WBTC theft returned 51 ETH, equivalent to approximately $151.6K, to the victim. The scammer also requested the victim’s Telegram contact details via an input data message (IDM) on the Ethereum blockchain. This unusual interaction was made public by crypto investigator ZachXBT.
Victim Demands 90% Return of Stolen Funds
On May 5, the victim demanded the return of 90% of the stolen funds. The scammer’s return of 51 ETH represents about 4.2% of the requested amount. The victim warned the scammer about the traceability of the stolen funds and gave a deadline of 10:00 am UTC on May 6, 2024, for the return of the funds.
Details of the $71M WBTC Theft
The theft occurred on May 3 when the scammer moved 1,155 WBTC, worth $71M, to his address in a poisoning attack. This type of scam involves bombarding the victim with numerous blockchain transactions to deceive them into repeating the scammer’s address instead of their own. The scammer may have returned a portion of the stolen funds due to the difficulty of laundering such a large sum without detection.
Conclusion
This unusual interaction between a scammer and a victim has sparked discussions about the potential for negotiation and the traceability of stolen crypto funds. The scammer’s return of a portion of the stolen funds and request for the victim’s Telegram contact details may indicate a willingness to negotiate or a recognition of the difficulty in using the stolen funds without detection.
