🚭 A cigarette mistake leads to the police capturing a cryptocurrency fraudster worth 13 million dollars. A 60-year-old fugitive was arrested behind a 13 million dollar cryptocurrency scam in South Korea - all because he threw a cigarette on the street. For nearly five years, he managed to stay hidden. But his escape did not end with a high-stakes sting or an international chase - it ended because he threw a cigarette on a street in Seoul. From a cryptocurrency fraudster to a litterer in the streets, Seoul Metropolitan Police said they stopped the man on Wednesday in the Gwanak area after he discarded a cigarette butt and tried to flee. When questioned, he refused to show his identity. He offered money to the officers and even begged, "Let me go this time only," while trying to stop a taxi. He then pretended to make a phone call and tried to run again but was immediately captured. Officers soon realized that the man, identified only as A, was more than just careless with cigarettes. Investigators later discovered that he was the mastermind behind a 17.7 billion won (13 million dollar) cryptocurrency scam that deceived around 1300 people between 2018 and 2019. After the scam, he disappeared in 2020, but his attempt ended this week when he was handed over to the Southern Seoul District Attorney's Office. He was already a wanted fugitive under arrest warrants for 10 charges, including fraud and assault. Other cryptocurrency fraudsters slipping up. This is not the first time a cryptocurrency fraudster has stumbled due to a careless mistake. In 2012, James Zhong stole 50,000 bitcoins from Silk Road. That would be worth over 5.6 billion dollars today. Instead of laundering it cleanly, he stored the coins in physical wallets hidden around his home. Years later, in 2019, his house was robbed, and when he called the police to report the burglary, the IRS intervened. Investigators quickly traced the assets back to the Silk Road hack, and it was the end for Zhong. He was arrested, and in 2023, he was sentenced to just one year in prison. Among other notorious cases is that of the couple Heather Morgan and Ilya Lichtenstein. They executed one of the largest cryptocurrency thefts in history but were brought down by egregious mistakes. The couple was linked to the 2016 Bitfinex hack, where 119,000 bitcoins were stolen. Instead of quietly laundering the money, they used fake accounts and made transactions that left a clear digital trail. Morgan made things worse. She created a bizarre alter ego named "Razzlekhan," posting cringeworthy rap videos and flaunting a flashy lifestyle while investigators were already circling. By 2022, the two were arrested in New York with billions in stolen bitcoins. Lichtenstein admitted to executing the hack, while Morgan pleaded guilty to money laundering. In 2024, Lichtenstein was sentenced to five years in prison, and Morgan was sentenced to 18 months. Their case became one of the strangest arrests in cryptocurrency history. If you're reading this, you're already ahead. Follow me for more exciting news 🔥🔥🔥

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