Moroccan Individual Charged in Crypto and NFT Heist on OpenSea Replica Website
The crypto and NFT space has witnessed a troubling incident involving a Moroccan individual named Soufiane Oulahyane, who now faces charges brought forth by U.S. prosecutors.
Oulahyane stands accused of orchestrating a highly sophisticated scheme, resulting in the theft of an astounding $448,923 worth of digital assets, including two highly sought-after Bored Apes. His method involved creating a deceptive replica of the renowned OpenSea digital marketplace.
According to the Department of Justice, Oulahyane established a fraudulent website, cunningly designed to deceive unsuspecting victims into revealing their seed phrases—a sequence of random words used to unlock crypto wallets. This enabled Oulahyane to gain illicit access to authentic OpenSea accounts.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams highlighted Oulahyane’s adaptability, remarking on his ability to repurpose the age-old technique of creating fake websites and deploying it within the rapidly evolving crypto space.
Notably, the charges against Oulahyane pertain to the crypto theft from an unidentified victim residing in New York. The accused is believed to have successfully sold 39 NFTs, which included an appealing cartoon ape sporting a sailor cap while puffing on a cigar, as well as a depiction of a robotic dog.
The government’s investigation revealed a clever tactic employed by Oulahyane, involving the purchase of sponsored links on an undisclosed search engine. Prospective users who clicked on these links were unknowingly redirected to a fake website that closely resembled the OpenSea login page.
Prosecutors claim that the victim paid 9.88 Ether, equivalent to approximately $18,700, for the ape, and 1.789 Ether, totaling $3,400, for the captivating robotic dog.
As a result of these charges, Oulahyane now faces four counts, including wire fraud, use of an unauthorized access device, aggravated identity theft, and utilizing an access device to steal a minimum of $1,000. If convicted of these fraud charges, he could potentially face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, as per the U.S. prosecutor’s statement.
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