A 25-year-old Moroccan man is accused of spoofing the OpenSea marketplace, stealing $450,000 in NFTs and cryptocurrencies.
The Department of Justice has charged Soufiane Oulahyane with creating a spoof of OpenSea and defrauding victims of approximately $450,000 in digital assets. He faces multiple charges and potential decades incry prison.
Soufiane Oulahyane is under lock and key, facing multiple charges after allegedly operating a fake OpenSea website to steal cryptocurrencies and NFTs. According to the Department of Justice, Oulahyane tricked users into handing over their private crypto wallet keys by making his spoofed OpenSea site appear at the top of search engine results.
A Manhattan-based victim reportedly lost $450,000 to the cyber criminal, including a Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) token bought for 49 Ether, a Meebit bought for 9.88 Ether, and more. In total, Oulahyane made away with 39 NFTs.
If found guilty, the alleged cyber thief faces a range of charges including wire fraud, unauthorized device use, and aggravated identity theft, with potential sentences amounting to decades in prison. Currently, Oulahyane is in Moroccan custody, awaiting further legal proceedings.
