A Singaporean national known online as “Anne Hathaway” pleaded guilty on September 8 to racketeering conspiracy charges for leading a cryptocurrency theft ring that stole more than $245 million from victims across the United States. Malone Lam, 22, faces between 7 and 20 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 8 in Washington D.C. federal court.
The gang, which prosecutors dubbed the Social Engineering Enterprise, combined several attack methods. Members acquired databases of high-value cryptocurrency holders, then impersonated Apple and Google customer support agents in phone calls to convince targets to hand over account credentials. In some cases they went further — physically breaking into homes to steal hardware crypto wallets. Lam is said to have used stolen funds to pay for Hamptons vacations, private jets, and luxury cars, drawing law enforcement attention before his arrest in Miami in September 2025. At least nine other members of the group have already pleaded guilty as part of the wider Justice Department takedown.