Pinellas Park cybersecurity analyst steals nearly $600,000 in cryptocurrency from client, police say
Courtesy: Pinellas County Sheriff's Office
CLEARWATER, Fla. - A Pinellas Park man is accused of stealing nearly $600,000 in cryptocurrency after gaining access to a client’s investments while installing a security system in the man’s home.
According to the Clearwater Police Department, Aaron Motta, whose LinkedIn profile describes him as a certified ethical hacker and cybersecurity analyst, took the victim’s Trezor hardware wallet containing the man’s cryptocurrency investments while he was working in the victim’s home office. Police say Motta was able to access the man's accounts because the victim’s passwords were with the wallet.
According to an arrest affidavit, Motta transferred $575,910.61 of the victim’s cryptocurrency holdings out of the wallet and tried to conceal where the money went by making a series of transactions.
However, a blockchain analysis revealed that the victim’s money was transferred into multiple digital wallets owned by Motta, according to police.
Motta has been charged with two felonies, including grand theft and offenses against computer users.