A 60-year-old fugitive involved in a $13 million crypto scam has been arrested in South Korea — all because of a careless act: tossing a cigarette on the street.

From Fugitive to Street Litterer

For nearly five years, the man managed to stay hidden from authorities. His run came to an end in Seoul’s Gwanak District when police stopped him for discarding a cigarette butt.

When questioned, he refused to show his ID, attempted to bribe officers, and even tried to escape by pretending to be on a phone call. However, he was caught on the spot.

Authorities later confirmed that the suspect, identified only as Mr. A, was the mastermind behind a ₩17.7 billion ($13M) crypto scam between 2018 and 2019, which defrauded around 1,300 victims.

After disappearing in 2020, he was wanted on 10 separate charges, including fraud and assault. He has now been handed over to the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office.

Costly Mistakes by Other Crypto Scammers

This isn’t the first time crypto criminals have been exposed by their own recklessness:

  • James Zhong (Silk Road Case, 2012): Stole 50,000 BTC (worth over $5.6B today) but left coins hidden in his home. A burglary led to his arrest in 2019, and he was sentenced in 2023.

  • Heather Morgan & Ilya Lichtenstein (Bitfinex Hack, 2016): Linked to the theft of 119,000 BTC. Instead of discreet laundering, they left digital trails and flaunted wealth online. Morgan, known as “Razzlekhan”, even posted rap videos. Both were arrested in 2022, with Lichtenstein later sentenced to 5 years and Morgan to 18 months.

Takeaway

The crypto world has seen scams worth billions of dollars, but time and again, it’s the small mistakes that bring fraudsters down.

👉 Stay informed. Stay cautious. And always trade responsibly.

$USDC

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