๐จ From YouTuber Crypto King to Prisoner: CP3Oโs $3.5M Cryptojacking Scam ๐จโก
๐ง What is Cryptojacking?:
Cryptojacking โ also called illegal crypto mining โ is the unauthorized use of another personโs resources (electricity, hardware, or computing power) to secretly mine digital assets like Ethereum or Monero. Victims pay the bills, while the hacker reaps the profits.
๐ค Who Was Involved?
Meet Charles Parks III (aka CP3O), a flashy YouTuber & crypto influencer who posed online as a millionaire mentor while secretly hijacking cloud power.
๐ต๏ธ How Did He Do It?:
๐ธ Defrauded AWS & Microsoft Azure of $3.5M in computing services
๐ข Created fake companies (MultiMillionaire LLC, CP3O LLC)
๐ Lied about running a 10,000-student global online academy (which never existed)
๐ ๏ธ Deceived providers into granting privileges & upgrades, while dodging questions about unpaid balances
โ๏ธ Used the stolen resources to mine Ethereum, Litecoin, and Monero
๐ฏ Victims:
Two major cloud computing providers were defrauded of $3.5M+ in services.
Legitimate users were indirectly harmed as computing power and resources were diverted to Parksโ illegal mining operation.
๐ฐ The Spoils:
Parks laundered the proceeds through crypto exchanges, NFT marketplaces, banks & payment apps, then flaunted the wealth on:
๐ Mercedes-Benz
๐จ Five-star hotels
โ๏ธ Luxury travel
๐ญ The Irony
On YouTube in 2022, Parks bragged about his โMultiMillionaire Mentality,โ claiming he made seven digits in ten days โ without revealing it came from theft and fraud.
โ๏ธ The Downfall:
โ Guilty plea (Dec 2024) to wire fraud, money laundering & unlawful transactions
โ๏ธ Sentenced (Aug 2025) to 1 year + 1 day in prison
๐ธ Ordered to forfeit $500K and his Mercedes-Benz
๐ Restitution still pending
๐ Lesson to Remember
Not every influencer flashing cash is real.๐ญ
Behind the Lambos and hashtags, some are just criminals hijacking your electricity.
