Brooklyn man gets up to 12 years over $16 million Coinbase social engineering scheme

Written and edited by the WorldPing NewsdeskPublished Updated Original reporting: The Block
Brooklyn man gets up to 12 years over $16 million Coinbase social engineering schemeWorldPing
Image via The Block.

What happened

A court sentenced 23-year-old Ronald Spektor to four to 12 years in prison for a $15.9 million Coinbase phishing scheme.

Key facts

  • A court sentenced 23-year-old Ronald Spektor to four to 12 years in prison for a $15.9 million Coinbase phishing scheme.
  • Reported by The Block and published Thu, 24 Sep 2026 08:21:32 UTC.

Why it matters

Digital-asset markets react to catalysts within minutes, and liquidity, ETF flows and regulatory signals are usually what decide whether a move sticks.

What to watch next

  • Whether spot volume and open interest confirm the move
  • Liquidation clusters around the current price
  • ETF flow data and any regulatory follow-up

Coverage timeline

When each newsroom published on this story, oldest first — all times UTC.

  1. Her Crypto ‘Godfather’ Ex Moved Millions. She Hid $2.6M From the IRS

  2. Brooklyn man gets up to 12 years over $16 million Coinbase social engineering scheme

  3. British Banking Lobby UK Finance Expels Coinbase

  4. Brooklyn Man Who Bragged About $16M Coinbase Scam Gets Up to 12 Years

Sources

The original report was published by The Block. WorldPing does not claim that reporting — this page summarises and contextualises it.

Read the full report at The Block

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