In a recent crypto investigation, a man from Los Angeles has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison and ordered to pay $1.2 million in restitution for orchestrating scams where he posed as an Apple support representative and stole non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and cryptocurrency. Amir Hossein Golshan, 25, was convicted by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II, who also demanded the payment of $1,218,526 in restitution.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed that Golshan’s crimes involved SIM swapping and social media account takeovers, targeting hundreds of victims over several years and resulting in approximately $740,000 in losses. By tricking victims into revealing personal information such as SIM card details and two-factor authentication codes, Golshan gained unauthorized access to their digital accounts. He then proceeded to steal valuable digital assets like NFTs and cryptocurrency, causing significant financial harm.
Prosecutors emphasized the severity of Golshan’s actions, stating that they inflicted fear and worry upon his victims, displaying a complete lack of respect for the law and human dignity.
Golshan employed fraudulent tactics such as impersonating Apple support personnel to gain access to victims’ Apple iCloud accounts. Through this scheme, he defrauded multiple individuals and stole NFTs, cryptocurrency, and other valuable digital property. Five victims suffered losses ranging from $2,000 to $389,000 each.
One example of Golshan’s modus operandi involved calling a victim from Apple Support’s official telephone number and falsely claiming to be an employee. He convinced the victim to disclose a two-step authentication code, granting him unauthorized access to the victim’s iCloud account. Subsequently, he changed the account’s email address and proceeded to steal an NFT worth approximately $319,000 along with around $70,000 worth of crypto assets. The stolen NFT was later sold on an NFT marketplace for $130,000 in crypto.
According to CoinGecko data, the current market capitalization of the global cryptocurrency market is $1.47 trillion, reflecting a 0.99% change over the last 24 hours and a significant 72.08% change compared to one year ago. Bitcoin (BTC) holds a dominant market cap of $730 billion, accounting for 49.58% of the overall cryptocurrency market.
In conclusion, this case highlights the importance of remaining vigilant and protecting personal information when engaging in cryptocurrency transactions. Scammers like Golshan will go to great lengths to deceive and defraud individuals, causing significant financial and emotional harm. It is crucial to exercise caution and verify the legitimacy of any communication or request for personal information related to cryptocurrency activities.
Hot Take: Los Angeles Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Crypto Scams
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