A 23-year-old Brooklyn man has been jailed at Rikers Island after New York prosecutors charged him in connection with a $15 million cryptocurrency theft that authorities say relied not on hacking software, but on deception, impersonation and the manipulation of trust among retail investors across the United States.
The defendant, Ronald Spektor, is accused of orchestrating a multi-year social-engineering scheme in which victims were persuaded to voluntarily hand over access credentials to their digital wallets. Prosecutors allege the operation ran from April 2023 until his arrest in early December 2025, ultimately draining millions of dollars in cryptocurrency from nearly 100 individuals.
According to charging documents, Spektor allegedly posed as a customer-support employee of Coinbase, one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges. Investigators say he contacted victims by phone, warned them their accounts were compromised, and instructed them to provide their wallet "seed phrases" - the 12- to 24-word master keys that grant full control over crypto holdings.
Once those phrases were obtained, authorities allege, the assets were rapidly transferred to wallets under Spektor's control and dispersed through a web of transactions designed to frustrate recovery efforts. Because blockchain transfers are largely irreversible, victims had little recourse once the funds were moved.
Prosecutors say individual losses were severe. At least two victims in California allegedly lost approximately $6 million and $1 million, respectively. In total, investigators estimate that roughly $15 million in cryptocurrency was stolen during the course of the scheme.
Law enforcement agencies traced more than $5 million of the allegedly stolen assets to online gambling accounts linked to Spektor, according to court filings. The remaining funds were allegedly converted into cash or routed through other cryptocurrency services.
Following his arrest, Spektor was arraigned in New York and ordered held at Rikers Island. Bail was set at $500,000 cash or a $1 million bond. He has been charged with multiple felony counts, including:
- Grand larceny
- Money laundering
- Criminal possession of stolen property
- Criminal possession of stolen personal data
Each charge carries a potential sentence of up to 25 years in prison. Spektor has pleaded not guilty, and his attorney has indicated plans to contest the allegations.
Investigators from the New York Police Department and the Kings County District Attorney's Office interviewed approximately 70 victims as part of the probe. Authorities say they recovered extensive digital evidence from Spektor's devices, including messages in which he allegedly discussed the scams, recruitment efforts and methods for concealing proceeds.
According to investigators, forensic analysis uncovered Telegram conversations under the handle "@LOLIMFEELINGEVIL," where participants allegedly exchanged phishing tactics and discussed expanding operations. Messages tied to Spektor's Google account reportedly contained thousands of email addresses and passwords, highlighting the scale of personal data involved.
