
Jakarta, Pintu News – The recent Ripple heist of American investor Brandon LaRoque has caught the public’s attention. According to an investigation conducted by ZachXBT, a blockchain expert, the stolen funds have been traced and found to have been laundered through OTC services associated with Huione Guarantee, a large black market in Southeast Asia.
Brandon LaRoque, who had been accumulating Ripple (XRP) for eight years, lost all of his 1.2 million tokens to a hacker attack. In a YouTube video that went semi-viral, LaRoque revealed that he was using an Ellipal wallet, which he thought was a cold wallet. However, it turned out that the device was connected to the internet, making it highly vulnerable to attacks.
Ellipal, the company that makes the wallet, has stated that they are doing everything possible to help the victim. They added that this massive theft occurred because a seed phrase was imported into the app. This shows the importance of a better understanding of the crypto security products offered in the market.
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ZachXBT reports that the stolen funds have been traced to a Tron address, where they were consolidated before being laundered through Huione Guarantee. Huione Guarantee is known as a marketplace that handles criminal proceeds from various illegal activities including fraud and human trafficking.
This money laundering process shows how sophisticated the criminal networks involved in crypto theft are. It also highlights the challenges faced in tracking and recovering stolen assets in the vast and often anonymous crypto ecosystem.
According to ZachXBT, the chances of recovering lost funds are slim. Victims of crypto theft often have limited access to law enforcement in the United States, which leaves them to seek help from the private sector.
ZachXBT suggests that victims immediately contact competent experts in the private sector and avoid recovery companies that take advantage of the situation. This advice is important to prevent further losses and maximize the chances of asset recovery.
This case highlights the vulnerabilities that still exist in the crypto ecosystem and the importance of education and proper use of security tools. While the blockchain industry continues to grow, incidents like this are a reminder that security risks are still very real and require serious attention from all parties involved.
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