Californian Richard Yuan Li, xx, has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his part in SIM-bandy attacks targeting at least xx individuals, too as the attempted extortion of a New Orleans-based doctor and cryptocurrency investor known only as 'Investor A.'

Li is believed to have collaborated with others from January 2018 until February 2019 to defraud numerous victims through SIM-swapping attacks, with some of the co-conspirators remaining unknown to the United States Attorney's Function.

SIM-swaps involve rerouting a victim's SIM to a phone in possession of the attackers, assuasive them to proceeds access to personal data and sensitive accounts including emails, banking concern accounts, and cryptocurrency wallets.

xx-twelvemonth-old charged over SIM-bandy attacks

The complaint asserts that Li first participated in a scheme to defraud Apple Inc. in January 2018. After disarming Apple tree customer support staff that they had not received an iPhone 8 purchased from the company, Lie and his co-conspirators were able to proceeds possession of a second device.

On November ten, Victim A's phone number was swapped to a SIM card contained in the fraudulently obtained iPhone eight — which Li operated from his dormitory in San Diego.

Attackers demand 100 Bitcoins

Li and his co-conspirators were able to gain command over Victim A's email, earlier accessing several of the physician's accounts with various cryptocurrency exchanges.

After stealing "a meaning portion of Victim A's cryptocurrency," the group rang the md to need a ransom of 100 Bitcoins (BTC) to prevent sensitive information from being leaked and purportedly restore control over his crypto accounts.

Between Oct 2018 and December 2018, Li participated in 28 SIM-swapping attacks that targeted at least 19 other victims.

If bedevilled, Li faces up to v years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.

xv-year-old steals $23.8 meg via SIM-swap

During May, pioneering crypto investor and the victim of a $23.8 million SIM-bandy attack in 2018, Michael Terpin, filed a civil conform for $71.iv in amercement against 18-year-old Ellis Pinsky of Irvington, New York for masterminding the hack.

Pinsky had been only 15 years old at the time of the set on, and had planned to retire early after the heist.