**User Loses $282M in One of the Largest Social Engineering Crypto Heists**

A devastating blow has been dealt to a cryptocurrency user, who lost an astonishing $282 million worth of Bitcoin and Litecoin in one of the largest social engineering attacks ever recorded in the crypto sector. The theft occurred on January 10, 2026, at around 11:00 pm UTC, leaving the victim stunned and cryptocurrency enthusiasts reeling.

The attacker's modus operandi was nothing short of devious. By impersonating Trezor support, they tricked the victim into revealing their hardware wallet seed phrase. This critical piece of information allowed the attacker to gain full control of the wallet and rapidly move the funds across multiple networks to obscure the trail.

According to blockchain investigator ZachXBT, 2.05 million Litecoin (LTC), currently worth $153 million, and 1,459 Bitcoin (BTC), now worth around $139 million, were drained from the victim's wallet. The attacker immediately began converting the stolen assets into Monero (XMR) through several instant exchange services, triggering a sharp spike in XMR's price.

The attacker also used THORChain to bridge large portions of the Bitcoin across Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP), and Litecoin, allowing them to shift value between blockchains without relying on centralized exchanges. This move reignited debate around how decentralized cross-chain infrastructure can be abused during large-scale thefts.

Security firm ZeroShadow was able to trace and flag parts of the stolen flow in real-time after being alerted by blockchain monitoring teams. Within roughly 20 minutes, about $700,000 worth of funds were reportedly frozen before they could be fully swapped into privacy-focused assets. ZeroShadow claimed it identified the victim as a Bitcoin address "belonging to an individual who had been tricked into sharing their seed phrase by an actor impersonating Trezor 'Value Wallet' support."

ZachXBT also rejected claims that the attack might be linked to a state-sponsored hacking group. "It's not North Korea," he wrote in response to speculation.

This devastating loss serves as a stark reminder of the importance of cryptocurrency security and the dangers of social engineering attacks. In related news, an elderly US individual reportedly fell victim to a $330 million Bitcoin theft last year, highlighting the growing risk of these types of scams in the crypto sector.

As the cryptocurrency landscape continues to evolve, it's essential for users to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to protect their assets from falling prey to such attacks. In this article, we'll delve into the details of this massive heist and explore the implications for the cryptocurrency community.

**A Look Back at Recent Crypto Heists**

Last year, an elderly US individual reportedly fell victim to a $330 million Bitcoin theft in another major social engineering scam. The victim had held more than 3,000 BTC since 2017 with little prior activity, according to blockchain data. After the funds were moved, the attacker rapidly laundered the Bitcoin using peel chains and multiple instant exchanges, ultimately swapping much of the stolen BTC into Monero to obscure its trail.

This incident serves as a stark reminder of the growing risk of social engineering attacks in the crypto sector. As more users become increasingly reliant on cryptocurrency services, they're becoming vulnerable targets for scammers looking to exploit their trust and gain access to sensitive information.