A U.S. citizen found herself at the center of a scheme to steal $5 million in cryptocurrency — investigation details
According to an independent investigation, American Tiffany Milanovich is linked to a series of attacks on cryptocurrency investors that resulted in the theft of at least $5 million. The scheme was built on fake calls made in the name of crypto service support teams — a classic example of social engineering, but with a surprisingly "human" face.
Milanovich acted as a "call operator": she called victims, posing as a tech support employee, and convinced them to hand over control of their funds. After the accounts were drained, she recorded videos mocking the victims — such cynicism, unfortunately, is becoming increasingly characteristic of modern fraud groups.
Attack Mechanics
Milanovich did not act alone. She was part of a group where her accomplices, under the pseudonyms "bled" and "harm," provided phishing infrastructure — fake websites that mimicked the interfaces of hardware wallets and centralized exchanges. In June 2026, one victim lost $1.2 million in Bitcoin and Ethereum from a Trezor wallet. The attack began with a fake email from BitcoinIRA, signed by a certain Patricia Massie — a detail that underscores the level of preparation of the criminals.
In October 2025, another victim lost $500,000 in BTC after the group gained access to their Coinbase account. Notably, Milanovich complained about her "small cut" at the time and even posted screenshots of the withdrawals — apparently, for her, this was more of a game than a crime.
Traces of Luxury and Casinos
The investigation showed that Milanovich spent the stolen funds lavishly: luxury goods and casino bets. Moreover, some of the "boastful" videos were edited to make the theft amounts appear even larger than they actually were. This is no longer just fraud, but a demonstrative disregard for the victims.
Experts also link Milanovich to John "Lick" Dagita, who was previously accused of stealing cryptocurrency seized by U.S. authorities. In March, Dagita was detained in Saint Martin — the connections in this world, apparently, are quite close.
A Frightening Trend
Such schemes are part of a broader wave of impersonation fraud. In 2025 alone, the FBI recorded more than 80,000 complaints about impersonation of tech support staff and government agencies, with losses exceeding $2.9 billion. According to Chainalysis, the number of such attacks in the crypto sector has grown by nearly 1,400% year over year.
My comment: This case is a stark reminder that even the most technically sophisticated wallets and exchanges do not protect against the main vulnerability — the human factor. The industry needs not only new security protocols but also educational campaigns so that investors understand: support services will never ask you to transfer funds or reveal your seed phrase. In the meantime, fraudsters continue to exploit trust, and this trend, unfortunately, will only intensify.