Ivan Bianco, a Brazil-based YouTuber (the host of the “Fraternidade Crypto” channel) who focuses on blockchain gaming, apparently suffered a significant loss of almost $60,000 in cryptocurrency and NFTs. The loss allegedly occurred after he unintentionally displayed the initial phrases of his crypto wallets during a live broadcast. Her channel has around 34,000 subscribers and has garnered over 2.2 million views since its inception in 2017. Bianco opened a document containing his opening sentences. during the live stream, which took place on August 30, 2023,
This misjudgment allowed unidentified individuals to gain control over their crypto wallets and allegedly siphon off their assets. Realizing his mistake, Bianco attempted to create a new wallet, only to discover that the funds in two of his wallets had already been withdrawn within minutes. In a follow-up live stream, an emotional Bianco explained the situation to his viewers. He shared that approximately 86,600 MATIC tokens, valued at around $50,800 at the time, were stolen from his Polygon wallet. In addition, 3.35 ETH (worth about $5,750) was trapped in someone else’s Arbitrum wallet.
Some other Cases of Users Being Stolen
Other users reportedly also took smaller amounts of various cryptocurrencies. Bianco has confirmed that the total loss amounted to approximately $60,000 in tokens and NFTs. He also reported that he had filed a police report on the incident. However, he expressed skepticism about the police’s understanding of the situation, stating that resolving the issue would likely take a long time. Interestingly, after the robbery, an unidentified individual reached out to Bianco via Discord.
During a call, the person claimed responsibility for the theft but regretted it. Following this conversation, most of the stolen MATIC tokens were returned to Bianco, in the amount of about $50,000. While some of Bianco’s followers questioned the authenticity of these events, he dismissed such skepticism. Bianco also mentioned that he had identified the thief, but decided not to reveal the individual’s name as most of the stolen funds were returned. As for the others who took smaller amounts, he said efforts are underway to track and locate them. Bianco hopes the incident will serve as a warning to others to be more vigilant about their digital assets.
By Leonardo Pérez
