Romanian Barber Arrested for Allegedly Stealing $620K in Crypto

romania
12 March 2021

A barber in Romania suspected of stealing $620,000 in cryptocurrency from an unnamed company in the Cayman Islands has been apprehended.

  • Ionel Roman, 38, from the southern city of Craiova, was arrested on March 5, and was charged with hacking, IT fraud and money laundering.
  • According to a statement by prosecutors, Roman launched a cyberattack on a Cayman Islands-based company, described as "the seventh-largest cryptocurrency operator in the world," in late Janaury.
  • The barber then transferred $620,000 worth of crypto to several people who paid him in fiat currency.
  • Roman withdrew this money in numerous sums of 10,000 lei ($2,449), circumventing the need to provide identity credentials, according to Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT).
  • DIICOT seized 10,800 lei from Roman's home along with electronic equipment.

See also: EXMO Exchange Taps Ledger Vault to Help Secure User Assets After 2020 Hack

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