In September 2024, U.S. authorities charged 20-year-old Malone Lam and 21-year-old Jeandiel Serrano with conspiring to steal and launder over 230 million dollars in cryptocurrencies. Lam, a citizen of Singapore, and Serrano, from Los Angeles, allegedly posed as members of Google's support team to deceive a victim in Washington D.C. and gain access to their cryptocurrency accounts.

According to the indictment, the defendants used social engineering techniques to obtain the victim's private keys, allowing them to transfer over 4,100 bitcoins to their own accounts. They subsequently laundered the funds through mixers and exchanges, concealing their identity using virtual private networks (VPNs) and other tactics. The stolen funds were used to finance a lavish lifestyle, including international travel, luxury cars, watches, jewelry, and rental properties in Los Angeles and Miami.

This case is considered one of the largest cryptocurrency scams targeting an individual in U.S. history. Investigations are ongoing, and both defendants face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, with penalties that could reach up to 20 years in prison for each charge.