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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Michael Kunzelman

Inside the crazy party life of alleged crypto scammers who went on spending spree after $240 million bitcoin theft

The Justice Department court filing in the case against Hamza Doost and Kunal Mehta, that includes a photo of Malone Lam, is photographed Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick) - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

They pulled off one of the largest cryptocurrency thefts in history, duping a stranger out of bitcoin worth over $240 million. And then the party started.

The scammers — a network of young men in their late teens or early 20s — celebrated the August 2024 heist by embarking on a wild spending spree. They purchased fleets of sports cars, flew on private jets, hired security guards and rented mansions in Miami and the Hamptons. An alleged ringleader, 22-year-old Malone Lam, spent over $569,000 in one evening at a Los Angeles night club.

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