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22-YEAR-OLD SINGAPOREAN PLEADS GUILTY IN $245M CRYPTO HEIST

INDUSTRY DESK1 MIN READ
WED, SEP 9, 2026

■ AI-SUMMARIZED FROM 1 SOURCE ▸ TIMELINE

Malone Lam, a 22-year-old Singaporean national, has pleaded guilty to leading an international social engineering scheme that stole and laundered $245 million in cryptocurrency. Prosecutors identified Lam as the operation's architect, operating under multiple aliases including "Anne Hathaway" and "King Greavy."

Lam coordinated the scheme across international borders using social engineering tactics to compromise cryptocurrency accounts and wallets. The operation successfully extracted and laundered a quarter-billion dollars through various channels before authorities intervened. The case underscores ongoing vulnerabilities in cryptocurrency security and the effectiveness of social engineering attacks targeting digital asset holders. Despite the decentralized nature of blockchain technology, law enforcement successfully traced the operation and secured a guilty plea from its leader. Sentencing details and the scope of Lam's co-conspirators remain subject to further court proceedings. The conviction marks a significant enforcement action in the cryptocurrency crime space, signaling increased prosecutorial focus on large-scale digital asset theft schemes.

■ SOURCES

Techmeme

■ SUMMARY WRITTEN BY AI FROM THE LINKS ABOVE

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