Brooklyn man sentenced to up to 12 years for $16 million crypto phishing scam

Ronald Spektor (23) was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in prison by the Brooklyn Supreme Court on September 23, 2026, for a massive Coinbase phishing scheme. Spektor impersonated Coinbase customer support to trick approximately 100 victims into transferring assets to his wallets, stealing nearly $15.94 million. The stolen funds were laundered through various exchanges and spent on gambling and gift cards. Spektor pleaded guilty to 31 charges, including first-degree money laundering and grand larceny, and was ordered to pay nearly $16 million in restitution.