An American woman turned out to be a key link in the theft of $5 million in cryptocurrency: how the scheme worked
On-chain analyst ZachXBT has revealed details of a high-profile case involving the theft of $5 million in digital assets, centered on American Tiffany Milanovich. According to the investigation, she acted as a "call operator" in a fraudulent group, posing as a customer support employee of crypto services.
The Deception Scheme: From Fake Calls to Empty Wallets
The mechanics of the crime appear well-thought-out and cynical. Milanovich called victims, posing as a tech support representative, and convinced them to hand over control of their funds. After draining the accounts, she did not stop at theft—she recorded videos mocking the victims, indicating her complete disregard for those affected.
In June 2026, one of the attacks led to the loss of $1.2 million in Bitcoin and Ethereum. The group withdrew funds from a Trezor hardware wallet, and the attack began with a fake email from BitcoinIRA, signed with the name Patricia Massi. According to ZachXBT's estimates, a significant portion of the stolen funds has not yet been moved and remains on on-chain addresses.
Another episode occurred in October 2025: a victim lost $500,000 in Bitcoin after withdrawing funds from a Coinbase exchange account. Milanovich, according to the analyst, even complained about her "small share" and published transaction screenshots to highlight the scale of her "achievements."
How the Stolen Millions Were Spent
The investigation showed that Milanovich did not try to hide her extravagance. She openly showcased purchases of luxury goods and casino bets on social media, using the victims' money. At the same time, some of the "boastful" videos were edited to make the theft amounts appear even more impressive than they actually were.
ZachXBT also links Milanovich to John "Lick" Dagita, who was charged in January with stealing cryptocurrency seized by U.S. authorities. In March, Dagita was detained in Saint Martin, confirming the seriousness of the law enforcement response to such schemes.
A Trend That Demands Attention
This case is just the tip of the iceberg. The FBI recorded more than 80,000 complaints about impersonation of tech support and government agency employees in 2025 alone, with losses exceeding $2.9 billion. According to Chainalysis, the number of impersonation schemes in the crypto sector grew by nearly 1400% over the past year.
My comment: The rise of impersonation fraud is a worrying signal for the entire industry. Users must remember: no legitimate support service will ask you to transfer funds or reveal private keys. Investors should implement multi-factor authentication and cold storage, while exchanges should strengthen verification of calls and messages. Otherwise, such stories will only become more frequent.