A U.S. citizen has found herself at the center of a scheme to steal $5 million in cryptocurrency: details revealed
An analytical investigation conducted by renowned on-chain sleuth ZachXBT has revealed the involvement of American Tiffany Milanovich in an organized group that stole at least $5 million from users of crypto services. The scheme was built on a classic yet highly effective tactic—fake calls impersonating support services.
Milanovich played the role of a "call operator." She called victims, posing as a technical support employee, and under various pretexts convinced them to hand over control of their assets. After the funds landed in the scammers' accounts, she recorded videos mocking the deceived users, indicating the cynical and contemptuous nature of the criminal activity.
Mechanics of the criminal group
Milanovich did not act alone. As part of the group, she simulated the support services of hardware wallets and centralized exchanges. The infrastructure for phishing sites was provided by other participants known under the pseudonyms "bled" and "harm." This level of organization allowed the group to carry out multi-stage attacks, misleading victims at several levels.
One of the most significant incidents occurred in June 2026, when a victim lost $1.2 million in Bitcoin and Ethereum. The funds were withdrawn from a Trezor hardware wallet. The attack began with a fake email purportedly from BitcoinIRA, signed by a certain Patricia Massie, underscoring the high level of preparation among the perpetrators. Notably, a significant portion of the stolen assets has not yet been moved and remains on on-chain addresses, offering hope for their possible recovery during further investigation.
Another attack, dated October 2025, brought the group $500,000 in Bitcoin. In that case, the victim lost funds from their Coinbase exchange account. According to the investigation, Milanovich at the time complained about her "small share" and even posted screenshots of withdrawals, demonstrating her awareness and involvement in profit distribution.
Spending and connections
Milanovich was not cautious. On social media, she openly bragged about spending stolen money on luxury items and gambling. Moreover, she placed casino bets using victims' funds. ZachXBT also notes that some of the "boastful" videos were edited to make the theft amounts appear even more impressive than they actually were.
The investigation also links Milanovich to John "Lick" Dagita, who was previously accused of stealing cryptocurrency seized by U.S. authorities. In March, Dagita was arrested in Saint Martin, indicating possible international connections of the group.
This story is just the tip of the iceberg in the growing problem of impersonation fraud. The FBI recorded more than 80,000 complaints about fake tech support and government officials in 2025 alone, with losses exceeding $2.9 billion. According to Chainalysis, the number of such schemes in the crypto sector grew by nearly 1400% over the past year.
My expert opinion: This case demonstrates that even hardware wallets, considered the gold standard of security, are not a panacea. The main vulnerable link is the human factor. Users need to approach any incoming calls and messages critically, especially when it comes to access to funds. No legitimate support service will ever ask you to share your seed phrase or make a transfer for a "security check." The 1400% growth in such schemes is an alarming signal that demands heightened vigilance.