Ronald Spektor, 23, is accused of a long-running impersonation scheme that prosecutors say stole about $15 million by posing as Coinbase customer support and obtaining victims' seed phrases. The complaint alleges roughly 100 victims were targeted between April 2023 and Spektor's arrest on December 4. Investigators traced more than $5 million to online gambling accounts and say they recovered messages and account records that detail the alleged fraud and efforts to conceal proceeds. Spektor has pleaded not guilty and his attorney says the allegations will be contested.
Brooklyn Man, 23, Charged in Alleged $15 Million Coinbase Impersonation Scam
A 23-year-old Brooklyn man, Ronald Spektor, has been charged in a criminal complaint accusing him of running a long-term impersonation scheme that netted roughly $15 million by posing as a Coinbase customer-care representative.
Allegations And Timeline
Prosecutors allege the scheme began in April 2023 and continued until Spektor's arrest on December 4. According to the complaint, he allegedly tricked about 100 victims across the United States into surrendering their cryptocurrency access credentials by claiming their assets were at risk and needed to be moved to new wallets.
Victims who believed they were speaking with legitimate Coinbase staff reportedly provided their seed phrases — the 12-to-24-word account recovery phrases that permit access to crypto wallets — and transferred funds to wallets controlled by the defendant. Investigators say the stolen cryptocurrency was then immediately withdrawn and routed through wallets tied to Spektor.
Alleged Money Flows And Losses
The complaint says investigators traced more than $5 million of the stolen funds to Spektor's accounts with two online gambling services. Additional sums were allegedly converted to cash or laundered through crypto swap services. The filing cites individual losses that include a California user who reportedly lost more than $6 million and another who lost $1 million.
Evidence Cited By Prosecutors
Law enforcement alleges investigators recovered material from Spektor's phone and online accounts that they consider incriminating. The complaint describes Discord messages in which he boasted about generating millions from scamming and discussed using social engineering to obtain Coinbase seed phrases. It also alleges messages indicating he lost about $6 million through gambling.
Messages with family members are said to discuss efforts to conceal proceeds, including requests to dispose of or replace hardware wallets, the physical devices used to store private crypto keys offline. Prosecutors also point to a Telegram handle, @LOLIMFEELINGEVIL, allegedly used to discuss successful phishing attacks and to recruit others, and to a Google account containing records of tens of thousands of email addresses and associated passwords.
Defense: Spektor has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Todd Spodek, told Business Insider the allegations are 'speculative and based on incomplete information' and said he will challenge the charges and seek his client's release.
Charges, Bail And Next Steps
Spektor is reportedly being held at Rikers Island in lieu of bail set at $500,000 cash or $1 million bond. The complaint lists top counts including grand larceny and money laundering — each carrying a potential maximum sentence of 25 years — plus possession of stolen property and possession of personal identifying information. The indictment remains sealed pending further proceedings.
The case is under investigation by the NYPD and the Kings County District Attorney's Office, including its Virtual Currency Unit.
