schemes – some of them netting upwards of hundreds of millions of dollars in a matter of seconds, from a computer somewhere, the identity of the perpetrator typically obscured behind a fake online identity.
Victims’ accounts of their interactions with what appear to be rip-deal gangs are uncannily similar: Scammers posing as investment agents meet their victims face-to-face at a restaurant or hotel lobby, and ask for proof of funds. The victims set up a crypto wallet that seems legitimate – but chosen by the scammers – and then fund the wallet. Once the funds are sent over, the scammers are somehow able to drain the wallets.
The difficulty with catching these gang members is they operate across different jurisdictions, making it hard to trace their movements. Other rip-deal victims told CoinDesk that Italian authorities are investigating similar scams that have taken place in Rome.The scams that have taken place are like a scene out of untold Hollywood noir or neo-noir features –"The Sting,""The Spanish Prisoner,""The Grifters,""Snatch."
Other victims or almost-victims that CoinDesk spoke with, who asked not to be attributed to avoid embarrassment or further victimization, described having experiences similar to those Shams and Hunter detailed in their public statements. The victims showed up to a specific restaurant the scammers picked in Rome, and the scammers would insist on being seated at a specific table if they were put elsewhere.
cryptauxmargaux Great to see efforts looking to find out who the bad players are. As Web3 becomes home to more innovative tools we hope that headlines like this will start to dwindle. The space is all about creating a utopic future for society.
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