10-29-2022, 01:39 PM
CNBC called me the crypto godfather. I was SIM swapped, then robbed of $23.8M in cry
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CryptoCurrency/comments/yfr1yj/cnbc_called_me_the_crypto_godfather_i_was_sim/"> <img src="https://external-preview.redd.it/QTD4YQ8LQDsyScGu8MnnMxlTQB8KNFoalkpIrWkDJGA.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=26646ab29b00ffbd112a4189a635699437eebe64" alt="CNBC called me the crypto godfather. I was SIM swapped, then robbed of $23.8M in crypto. I sued the cybercriminals, and won—now I'm battling AT&T. AMA." title="CNBC called me the crypto godfather. I was SIM swapped, then robbed of $23.8M in crypto. I sued the cybercriminals, and won—now I'm battling AT&T. AMA." /> </a> </td><td> <!-- SC_OFF --><div class="md"><p>Hello, <a href="/r/cryptocurrency">r/cryptocurrency</a>! I’m Michael Terpin.</p> <p>On January 7, 2018, an AT&T contractor named Jahmil Smith took a bribe from a criminal gang (known variously as “The Community” or “The Pinsky Gang”) to have my digital identity turned over to the gang—in exchange for a few hundred dollars. This was accomplished through a form of identity theft called “SIM swap” wherein an unauthorized user (typically a criminal) takes over one’s digital identity to bypass second-factor security protections. I was then robbed, despite extensive security measures, of $24.7 million of altcoins, which could only have happened with the digital permissions given by the “fake me” aka the SIM Swappers.</p> <p>After months of negotiation, AT&T offered me $0.00, as they told my attorneys “we aren’t criminals”—but we allege they were certainly negligent in promising high security (I was given a “highest security” account because of a prior SIM Swap). My attorneys and I <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cryptocurrency-at-t-lawsuit/u-s-investor-sues-att-for-224-million-over-loss-of-cryptocurrency-idUSKBN1L01AA">filed</a> a $224 million lawsuit against AT&T in August 2018, and after $3 mm in legal fees over four years, we now have a trial date in May 2023 in federal court (more on AT&T later).</p> <p>In December 2018, I <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/04/13/hackers-are-stealing-millions-in-bitcoin-and-living-like-big-shots/">filed a complaint</a> against one of the hackers, Nicholas Truglia, with the Los Angeles Superior court—and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-crypto-currency-lawsuit/u-s-investor-awarded-75-million-in-cryptocurrency-crime-case-idUSKCN1SG2CO">won $75.8 million</a> in a civil judgment against him in May 2019. In 2021, <a href="https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/12/ny-man-pleads-guilty-in-20-million-sim-swap-theft/">Truglia plead guilty</a> to $20 million in SIM Swap theft.</p> <p>In May 2020, I <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/05/23/baby-al-capone-ellis-pinsky-pulled-off-a-23-8-million-crypto-heist/">filed a civil suit against Ellis Pinsky</a> (who I dubbed “Baby Al Capone” to the NY Post and the name has stuck). He admitted guilt and will be held responsible for $22 million (the amount he and his fellow gang members stole, minus a $2 mm credit for paying us back a small portion in 2019), as <a href="https://gizmodo.com/ellis-pinsky-crypto-hack-michael-terpin-1849658068">reported by Gizmodo earlier this month</a>. Equally important is his <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/10/20/ellis-pinsky-teams-with-alleged-victim-michael-terpin-to-take-on-att/">agreement to provide evidence and testimony against AT&T</a> in our upcoming May 2023 trial in federal court in Los Angeles.</p> <p><strong>What’s next:</strong> This month I launched an NFT project, SIM Dogs, to support the ongoing legal battle with AT&T and help bring awareness to SIM Swap. I created SIM Dogs a year ago, during which time no legal battle had ever enlisted NFTs (that I could find). My attorneys thought I had lost my mind. You can check out more information about SIM Dogs and join us at the following link:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://simdogs.com">https://simdogs.com</a></li> </ul> <p>AMA! I’ll be online from 830am PT to 5PM PT today to help answer any questions you have about the history and current status of the lawsuits (although I am unable to answer specific questions about depositions and other non-public evidence). I can also discuss:</p> <ul> <li>The current state of NFTs and crypto, and the impact of cybersecurity on crypto</li> <li>The growing importance of cybersecurity in protecting consumers from hackers</li> <li>How cause-related web3 projects can serve a bigger purpose</li> </ul> <p>For more of my SIM Swap backstory, you can read the following stories published earlier this year:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.coindesk.com/business/2022/10/14/crypto-hacker-agrees-to-pay-22m-in-att-sim-swap-case/">CoinDesk: 'Baby Al Capone' Agrees to Pay $22M in AT&T SIM-Swap Case</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/crypto-heist-teenage-hacker-ellis-pinsky-1367400/">Rolling Stone: How ‘Baby Al Capone’ Pulled Off a $24 Million Crypto Heist</a></li> </ul> <p>Edit: Photo for proof ⬇️</p> <p><a href="https://preview.redd.it/al6xd5m4cmw91.jpg?width=2316&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=46fac9d8e6b1249e0ce0e2e26a753e701547ec62">https://preview.redd.it/al6xd5m4cmw91.jpg?width=2316&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=46fac9d8e6b1249e0ce0e2e26a753e701547ec62</a></p> <p>Edit 2: I have another commitment to attend to for the rest of the day, but thank you, <a href="/r/CryptoCurrency">r/CryptoCurrency</a> for your questions! And a big thank you to <a href="/u/jwinterm">u/jwinterm</a> and the team for allowing me to share my SIM Swap story. Have a great weekend—signing out.</p> </div><!-- SC_ON --> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/michaelterpin"> /u/michaelterpin </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CryptoCurrency/comments/yfr1yj/cnbc_called_me_the_crypto_godfather_i_was_sim/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CryptoCurrency/comments/yfr1yj/cnbc_called_me_the_crypto_godfather_i_was_sim/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CryptoCurrency/comments/yfr1yj/cnbc_called_me_the_crypto_godfather_i_was_sim/"> <img src="https://external-preview.redd.it/QTD4YQ8LQDsyScGu8MnnMxlTQB8KNFoalkpIrWkDJGA.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=26646ab29b00ffbd112a4189a635699437eebe64" alt="CNBC called me the crypto godfather. I was SIM swapped, then robbed of $23.8M in crypto. I sued the cybercriminals, and won—now I'm battling AT&T. AMA." title="CNBC called me the crypto godfather. I was SIM swapped, then robbed of $23.8M in crypto. I sued the cybercriminals, and won—now I'm battling AT&T. AMA." /> </a> </td><td> <!-- SC_OFF --><div class="md"><p>Hello, <a href="/r/cryptocurrency">r/cryptocurrency</a>! I’m Michael Terpin.</p> <p>On January 7, 2018, an AT&T contractor named Jahmil Smith took a bribe from a criminal gang (known variously as “The Community” or “The Pinsky Gang”) to have my digital identity turned over to the gang—in exchange for a few hundred dollars. This was accomplished through a form of identity theft called “SIM swap” wherein an unauthorized user (typically a criminal) takes over one’s digital identity to bypass second-factor security protections. I was then robbed, despite extensive security measures, of $24.7 million of altcoins, which could only have happened with the digital permissions given by the “fake me” aka the SIM Swappers.</p> <p>After months of negotiation, AT&T offered me $0.00, as they told my attorneys “we aren’t criminals”—but we allege they were certainly negligent in promising high security (I was given a “highest security” account because of a prior SIM Swap). My attorneys and I <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cryptocurrency-at-t-lawsuit/u-s-investor-sues-att-for-224-million-over-loss-of-cryptocurrency-idUSKBN1L01AA">filed</a> a $224 million lawsuit against AT&T in August 2018, and after $3 mm in legal fees over four years, we now have a trial date in May 2023 in federal court (more on AT&T later).</p> <p>In December 2018, I <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/04/13/hackers-are-stealing-millions-in-bitcoin-and-living-like-big-shots/">filed a complaint</a> against one of the hackers, Nicholas Truglia, with the Los Angeles Superior court—and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-crypto-currency-lawsuit/u-s-investor-awarded-75-million-in-cryptocurrency-crime-case-idUSKCN1SG2CO">won $75.8 million</a> in a civil judgment against him in May 2019. In 2021, <a href="https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/12/ny-man-pleads-guilty-in-20-million-sim-swap-theft/">Truglia plead guilty</a> to $20 million in SIM Swap theft.</p> <p>In May 2020, I <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/05/23/baby-al-capone-ellis-pinsky-pulled-off-a-23-8-million-crypto-heist/">filed a civil suit against Ellis Pinsky</a> (who I dubbed “Baby Al Capone” to the NY Post and the name has stuck). He admitted guilt and will be held responsible for $22 million (the amount he and his fellow gang members stole, minus a $2 mm credit for paying us back a small portion in 2019), as <a href="https://gizmodo.com/ellis-pinsky-crypto-hack-michael-terpin-1849658068">reported by Gizmodo earlier this month</a>. Equally important is his <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/10/20/ellis-pinsky-teams-with-alleged-victim-michael-terpin-to-take-on-att/">agreement to provide evidence and testimony against AT&T</a> in our upcoming May 2023 trial in federal court in Los Angeles.</p> <p><strong>What’s next:</strong> This month I launched an NFT project, SIM Dogs, to support the ongoing legal battle with AT&T and help bring awareness to SIM Swap. I created SIM Dogs a year ago, during which time no legal battle had ever enlisted NFTs (that I could find). My attorneys thought I had lost my mind. You can check out more information about SIM Dogs and join us at the following link:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://simdogs.com">https://simdogs.com</a></li> </ul> <p>AMA! I’ll be online from 830am PT to 5PM PT today to help answer any questions you have about the history and current status of the lawsuits (although I am unable to answer specific questions about depositions and other non-public evidence). I can also discuss:</p> <ul> <li>The current state of NFTs and crypto, and the impact of cybersecurity on crypto</li> <li>The growing importance of cybersecurity in protecting consumers from hackers</li> <li>How cause-related web3 projects can serve a bigger purpose</li> </ul> <p>For more of my SIM Swap backstory, you can read the following stories published earlier this year:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.coindesk.com/business/2022/10/14/crypto-hacker-agrees-to-pay-22m-in-att-sim-swap-case/">CoinDesk: 'Baby Al Capone' Agrees to Pay $22M in AT&T SIM-Swap Case</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/crypto-heist-teenage-hacker-ellis-pinsky-1367400/">Rolling Stone: How ‘Baby Al Capone’ Pulled Off a $24 Million Crypto Heist</a></li> </ul> <p>Edit: Photo for proof ⬇️</p> <p><a href="https://preview.redd.it/al6xd5m4cmw91.jpg?width=2316&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=46fac9d8e6b1249e0ce0e2e26a753e701547ec62">https://preview.redd.it/al6xd5m4cmw91.jpg?width=2316&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=46fac9d8e6b1249e0ce0e2e26a753e701547ec62</a></p> <p>Edit 2: I have another commitment to attend to for the rest of the day, but thank you, <a href="/r/CryptoCurrency">r/CryptoCurrency</a> for your questions! And a big thank you to <a href="/u/jwinterm">u/jwinterm</a> and the team for allowing me to share my SIM Swap story. Have a great weekend—signing out.</p> </div><!-- SC_ON --> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/michaelterpin"> /u/michaelterpin </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CryptoCurrency/comments/yfr1yj/cnbc_called_me_the_crypto_godfather_i_was_sim/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CryptoCurrency/comments/yfr1yj/cnbc_called_me_the_crypto_godfather_i_was_sim/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>