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The cryptocurrency market, although profitable for many investors, also attracts a significant number of individuals who exploit others for personal gain. One such individual is British hacker Joseph O’Connor, known by the alias “Plugwalkjoe.” Known for his notorious activities, he has now received a definitive prison sentence for an attack he conducted in 2019.
“Plugwalkjoe” Sentenced to Five Years in Prison
In April 2019, “Plugwalkjoe” conducted a SIM-swap attack against a cryptocurrency exchange manager, for which he has now been sentenced to five years in prison. O’Connor was first arrested in Spain in July 2021, then extradited to the US on April 26, 2023. Charged with multiple crimes including e-fraud, money laundering, and cyber attacks, the notorious hacker was taken aback by the announcement of his sentence.
The court’s pronouncement on June 23 also included the following statement:
In addition to his prison sentence, O’Connor was ordered to pay back the 794,012.64 US dollars he stole.
Although the identity of the hacked crypto exchange manager remains undisclosed, the details of the incident were shared extensively. O’Connor copied and replaced the target’s SIM card using social engineering techniques, gaining access to numerous accounts and computer systems. From there, he accessed the exchange’s systems, stealing millions of dollars through the manager’s accounts. It was then revealed that the notorious hacker and his associates laundered the money in various ways and concealed it through numerous transfers.
His Role in the Twitter Attack
It was stated that O’Connor laundered all the money in Bitcoin and transferred it to various cryptocurrency exchanges. So, how was the hacker found? In the official report, it was stated that some of the money eventually ended up in a crypto account used by O’Connor himself. This led to his exposure. Additionally, O’Connor, who was also linked to the Twitter attack in July 2020, is reported to have obtained 120,000 dollars from it.
Social engineering techniques have significantly advanced in recent years, with the threat of SIM swapping increasing daily. In response, crypto investors are seeking solutions by contacting their operators.
