"Accused Cybersecurity Pro Steals $9M in Crypto, Googles 'Can I Cross Border with Crypto?'"
Shakeeb Ahmed, a cybersecurity professional, has been indicted by the U.S. government for allegedly hacking a cryptocurrency exchange and stealing around $9 million in cryptocurrency. Ahmed, who had skills in reverse engineering smart contracts and blockchain audits, used his expertise to execute the attack. While the victim was not specified, it is believed to be Crema Finance, a Solana-based exchange. Ahmed returned some of the stolen funds but kept $1.5 million, attempting to negotiate with the exchange to avoid law enforcement involvement. The indictment includes charges of wire fraud and money laundering. Ahmed allegedly exploited a vulnerability in the exchange, manipulated pricing data, and laundered the stolen crypto through various transactions.