ZachXBT Exposes “Canadian” Scammer Who Stole $2M Through Pretend Coinbase Help

Blockchain investigator ZachXBT has uncovered a Canada-based scammer who allegedly stole greater than $2 million in cryptocurrency by impersonating Coinbase buyer help, including to a rising checklist of social engineering instances focusing on customers of main exchanges.

In a collection of posts on X, ZachXBT mentioned the alleged scammer, recognized by the alias “Haby” or “Havard,” spent greater than a 12 months posing as a Coinbase assist desk employee and tricking customers into handing over funds.

ZachXBT Tracks Coinbase Scammer Via Screenshots and Pockets Information

In response to the investigator, the suspect relied on basic social engineering ways relatively than technical exploits, manipulating victims into believing their accounts had been underneath menace and wanted instant intervention.

ZachXBT mentioned he was in a position to hint the exercise by cross-referencing screenshots shared in Telegram group chats, social media posts, and on-chain transaction knowledge.

In an occasion, dated Dec. 30, 2024, the alleged scammer posted a screenshot boasting of a 21,000 XRP theft, value about $44,000 on the time, taken from a Coinbase consumer.

Additional evaluation linked that XRP deal with to extra Coinbase-related thefts totaling roughly $500,000.

The investigator mentioned the suspect routinely transformed stolen XRP into bitcoin utilizing on the spot alternate companies, a transfer supposed to obscure transaction trails.

By analyzing transaction timing and pockets balances, ZachXBT mentioned he recognized a bitcoin deal with that later displayed a steadiness of about $237,000 in February 2025, matching screenshots the suspect had shared whereas exhibiting off his funds in personal chats.

Tracing backward from that deal with revealed three extra Coinbase impersonation thefts value greater than $560,000.

ZachXBT additionally shared a leaked display screen recording that allegedly reveals the suspect on a name with a sufferer, impersonating Coinbase help.

Within the video, the caller is heard guiding the goal by what seemed to be faux safety steps whereas inadvertently revealing an e-mail deal with and Telegram account tied to the operation.

The suspect reportedly purchased costly Telegram usernames and deleted older accounts in an try to evade detection, although repeated on-line bragging made attribution simpler.

Crypto Customers Face Rising Losses as Social Engineering Assaults Unfold

The case surfaced as authorities in India just lately arrested a former Coinbase buyer help agent in Hyderabad over a separate knowledge breach affecting almost 70,000 customers.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong mentioned the breach stemmed from a bribery scheme focusing on offshore help workers and resulted in about $307 million in remediation and reimbursement prices.

Coinbase refused to pay a $20 million ransom linked to the incident and as an alternative launched a bounty program to assist investigations.

Social engineering scams just like the one described by ZachXBT usually start with unsolicited calls, texts, or emails that seem to return from a legit firm.

Scammers typically create urgency by claiming there was suspicious exercise or an imminent account compromise, then strain victims into revealing login credentials or two-factor authentication codes or transferring funds to wallets managed by the attacker.

The publicity of the alleged Canadian scammer follows different latest enforcement actions. In the USA, prosecutors charged a 23-year-old Brooklyn resident with stealing about $16 million from roughly 100 Coinbase customers by the same impersonation scheme.

That investigation additionally relied on blockchain evaluation and resulted within the seizure of money and digital belongings, with restoration efforts ongoing.

Trade knowledge present crypto theft stays widespread, with greater than $3.4 billion stolen throughout the sector between January and early December 2025.

Safety consultants proceed to induce customers to keep away from responding to unsolicited messages, by no means share passwords or restoration phrases, and solely contact help by official web sites or apps.

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