Joel Ortiz was arrested at LAX, dressed head to toe in ostentations and gaudy Gucci, as he was about to fly to Europe with $250,000 in cash converted from cryptocurrency that he’d stolen from at least 40 victims a few months earlier to the tune of $7.5 million. Tracked by REACT, a Santa Clara, California cybercrime unit, his irresistible urge to gloat and his over-the-top trail of lavish spending and flaunting of riches on social media made him an easy catch. But how did this one-time high school Valedictorian and Information Technology student at UMass, a kid who grew up in Boston public housing, get here? Was this smart and tech-savvy but socially awkward loner really the mastermind or was he being manipulated by a larger criminal Community?
This episode of Cowboy Kings of Crypto was created in 2022.
Watch more like this:
The Trading ‘Cult’ Separating Children From Their Families
The Dark Side of the Bitcoin Pharaoh
From Child Star to Eccentric Crypto Billionaire: Brock Pierce
Click here to subscribe to VICE:
About VICE:
The Definitive Guide To Enlightening Information. From every corner of the planet, our immersive, caustic, ground-breaking and often bizarre stories have changed the way people think about culture, crime, art, parties, fashion, protest, the internet and other subjects that don't even have names yet. Browse the growing library and discover corners of the world you never knew existed. Welcome to VICE.
Connect with VICE:
Check out our full video catalog: Videos, daily editorial and more: More videos from the VICE network: Click here to get the best of VICE daily: Like VICE on Facebook: Follow VICE on Twitter: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on TikTok:
The VICE YouTube Network:
VICE: MUNCHIES:
VICE News: VICE TV: VICE Life: Noisey: Motherboard:
VICE Sports: Waypoint: #lfg crypto #liquidation crypto #richest crypto traders
The College Student Who Stole $7.5M via SIM Swapping | Cowboy Kings of Crypto [6ghJVwqXXoe]
Joel Ortiz was arrested at LAX, dressed head to toe in ostentations and gaudy Gucci, as he was about to fly to Europe with $250,000 in cash converted from cryptocurrency that he’d stolen from at least 40 victims a few months earlier to the tune of $7.5 million. Tracked by REACT, a Santa Clara, California cybercrime unit, his irresistible urge to gloat and his over-the-top trail of lavish spending and flaunting of riches on social media made him an easy catch. But how did this one-time high school Valedictorian and Information Technology student at UMass, a kid who grew up in Boston public housing, get here? Was this smart and tech-savvy but socially awkward loner really the mastermind or was he being manipulated by a larger criminal Community?
This episode of Cowboy Kings of Crypto was created in 2022.
Watch more like this:
The Trading ‘Cult’ Separating Children From Their Families
The Dark Side of the Bitcoin Pharaoh
From Child Star to Eccentric Crypto Billionaire: Brock Pierce
Click here to subscribe to VICE:
About VICE:
The Definitive Guide To Enlightening Information. From every corner of the planet, our immersive, caustic, ground-breaking and often bizarre stories have changed the way people think about culture, crime, art, parties, fashion, protest, the internet and other subjects that don't even have names yet. Browse the growing library and discover corners of the world you never knew existed. Welcome to VICE.
Connect with VICE:
Check out our full video catalog: Videos, daily editorial and more: More videos from the VICE network: Click here to get the best of VICE daily: Like VICE on Facebook: Follow VICE on Twitter: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on TikTok:
The VICE YouTube Network:
VICE: MUNCHIES:
VICE News: VICE TV: VICE Life: Noisey: Motherboard:
VICE Sports: Waypoint: #lfg crypto #liquidation crypto #richest crypto traders