That link is a Binance Academy post on Binance Square — it's about one of the biggest crypto thefts in US history.
What happened:
In August 2024, a group of scammers stole over 4,100 Bitcoin — worth $240-245 million at the time — from a crypto investor in Washington DC.
They didn't break the blockchain. They used pure social engineering:
One caller posed as Google support, calling from a spoofed number, saying the victim's account had breach attempts.
A second caller posed as Gemini crypto exchange support, warning his wallet was compromised by malware.
They convinced him to give access to his Google Drive and reveal his security / 2FA codes. That gave them access to steal the BTC.
The ringleader was identified as 22-year-old Malone Lam from Singapore, living in Miami. He recently pleaded guilty — he's the 11th of 18 defendants to plead guilty in the case. After the theft, prosecutors say they spent it on sports cars, mansions, private jets, watches and nightclubs.
Why Binance Academy shared it:
Their point is: as crypto gets more valuable, attackers target the weakest link — human psychology.
Their 3 defense rules from the post:
🚨 Threat: Phishing calls are highly targeted — they spoof real numbers and create urgency like "Your account is being hacked!"
🚨 Defense: Never share 2FA codes, seed phrases, or private keys with ANYONE, even if they claim to be official support.
🚨 Zero Trust: Always verify through the official app/website — never click links or call numbers from unexpected emails/calls.
Want me to break down how to protect your own Binance / Gmail account from this exact scam?
What happened:
In August 2024, a group of scammers stole over 4,100 Bitcoin — worth $240-245 million at the time — from a crypto investor in Washington DC.
They didn't break the blockchain. They used pure social engineering:
One caller posed as Google support, calling from a spoofed number, saying the victim's account had breach attempts.
A second caller posed as Gemini crypto exchange support, warning his wallet was compromised by malware.
They convinced him to give access to his Google Drive and reveal his security / 2FA codes. That gave them access to steal the BTC.
The ringleader was identified as 22-year-old Malone Lam from Singapore, living in Miami. He recently pleaded guilty — he's the 11th of 18 defendants to plead guilty in the case. After the theft, prosecutors say they spent it on sports cars, mansions, private jets, watches and nightclubs.
Why Binance Academy shared it:
Their point is: as crypto gets more valuable, attackers target the weakest link — human psychology.
Their 3 defense rules from the post:
🚨 Threat: Phishing calls are highly targeted — they spoof real numbers and create urgency like "Your account is being hacked!"
🚨 Defense: Never share 2FA codes, seed phrases, or private keys with ANYONE, even if they claim to be official support.
🚨 Zero Trust: Always verify through the official app/website — never click links or call numbers from unexpected emails/calls.
Want me to break down how to protect your own Binance / Gmail account from this exact scam?