An American woman found herself at the center of a scandal: stealing $5 million in cryptocurrencies through fake tech support.
A high-profile investigation has uncovered details of a major cryptocurrency scam involving U.S. citizen Tiffany Milanovich. It involves the theft of at least $5 million through a sophisticated social engineering scheme.
According to the gathered materials, Milanovich played the role of a "call operator": she called victims, posing as a support staff member of popular crypto services, and convinced them to hand over control of their funds. After draining their accounts, she did not hesitate to record mocking videos, ridiculing the victims. This is not just fraud, but a cynical game on trust that undermines the security foundations of the entire industry.
The Crime Scheme
Milanovich did not act alone but as part of an organized group. She skillfully imitated the work of real technical support for hardware wallets and centralized exchanges. The infrastructure for fake websites was provided by her accomplices, known under the pseudonyms "bled" and "harm." One of the largest losses was recorded in June 2026, when a victim lost $1.2 million in Bitcoin and Ethereum stored on a Trezor wallet. The attack began with a fake email from BitcoinIRA, indicating a high level of preparation by the criminals. Notably, most of the stolen assets remain untouched to this day and are being tracked on the blockchain.
Another episode dates back to October 2025: a victim then lost $500,000 in BTC after the group gained access to their Coinbase account. Milanovich, according to available data, even complained about her "small share" and published screenshots of fund withdrawals, demonstrating contempt for the victims.
Traces of Luxury and Gambling
Where did the stolen millions go? Milanovich did not particularly hide her spending on social media: luxury items and large casino bets. She placed bets with the victims' money, and some "boastful" videos were edited to make the theft amounts seem even more impressive. The investigation also links her to John "Lick" Dagita, who was previously detained in Saint Martin on suspicion of similar crimes.
This story is just the tip of the iceberg. The FBI recorded more than 80,000 complaints about impersonation of technical support staff in 2025, with losses exceeding $2.9 billion. According to Chainalysis, the number of such schemes in the crypto sector grew by nearly 1400% over the year. This is a signal for all market participants: even the most secure wallets are powerless if the user themselves hands over the keys to scammers. Vigilance and cold calculation are the only reliable defense in the world of decentralized finance.
My verdict: this story is another reminder that the human factor remains the weakest link in crypto security. The industry needs not only technical solutions but also mass user education; otherwise, such schemes will continue to thrive.