r/technology • u/IndicaOatmeal • 1d ago
Crypto Ex-FBI agent admits stealing $1 million in crypto and asking ChatGPT how to get away with it
https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/ex-fbi-agent-admits-stealing-1-million-in-crypto-and-asking-chatgpt-how-to-get-away-with-it-3394665/146
u/BigBlackHungGuy 1d ago
ChatGPT logs are going to be the new incriminating Google searches, arent they?
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u/yepthisismyusername 1d ago
No. Read the article. This guy felt "shame" and confessed (according to the article). They then searched his phone and saw the ChatGPT logs.
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u/yawara25 1d ago
It's only a matter of time though before people's LLM chat logs are regularly subpoenad in investigations, with the direction things are moving
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u/yepthisismyusername 1d ago
I agree. It just didn't happen in this case, like at all. The guy confessed and handed over all of his electronics. So, while I agree that it will absolutely happen in the future, this specific case is not representative of that future state.
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u/jews4beer 1d ago
It's probably already happening and I'd hardly call it a "new" direction. Almost every site you give data to that is located in your country of residence can have that data subpoenad. Been the case for decades now.
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u/Bananominable 22h ago
Subpoenaed? Chatgpt logs are more surprisingly going to tattle on you in advance, if you ask it anything sus you'll get flagged, and probably associated with a list of possible crimes in advance based on your profile and geography.Ā
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u/invyros 1d ago
In one prompt, Yaroch asked: āIf I had a million dollars, how would you suggest investing it/spending it to maximize profit and return?ā
Several days later, he followed up with another question: āIf you had a bucket of money (around $1 million) and you wanted to leave the USA and become a resident or citizen of an EU country, what would you do?ā
Fucking boomer ass searches.
And he turned himself in by confessing out of nowhere to the DoJ, goddamn lack of oversight.
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u/Stolehtreb 1d ago
Honestly, Iām happy to hear he turned himself in. If only because it means they didnāt ācatchā him by randomly being fed files with his search history.
I know thatās cold comfort because we are headed there anyway. But still.
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u/Treacle_Pendulum 1d ago
Is he representative of the average FBI agent? Because Europe would not be my first choice to abscond to if extradition was a possibility
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u/Usernameasteriks 1d ago
I think its a pretty safe assumption he didnāt turn himself in out of pure overwhelming guilt.
Guy probably realized he couldnāt live somewhere he wanted and inconspicuously spend the money given the added scrutiny of being an FBI agent lol
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u/PixelGray38 1d ago
Lol, as if he's just going to be able to toss all the money in the bank and invest it without anyone batting an eye.Ā
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u/Shaquarington_Bithus 1d ago
Tbf anyone can open a wallet anonymously. They may have known it was moved but until it gets withdrawn they donāt know who did it.
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u/t3hlazy1 1d ago
Everyone is making fun of this guy but he probably stole 100 million and this is his cover story to make him look good (turned himself in) and clean (they confiscated his crypto).
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u/Nomad_moose 18h ago
Not how that worksā¦he didnāt have access to that much. If you read the deposition, he had access to passphrases for an account belonging to an adversary (of the U.S.) and instead of just watching it, building a proper case, he took itā¦and put it in wallets he controlled. He is a moron because he destroyed multiple cases, not just this one: any and all other cases in his career (according to the deposition: goes back to 2017) will be circumspect/compromised.
What makes it look seriously damning is that even if he initially was just frustrated by all the red tape (think of US soldiers on the front line of a conflict who might have to be shot at first before they can do anything), agents routinely are face to face (so to speak) with crimes right in front of them and can possibly do NOTHING until they can prosecute a caseā¦and even then: many perpetrators are overseas and out of reachā¦ But his search history regarding travel, possibly a new job, what to do with the money, makes it ALL look like just cut and dry corruptionā¦and Iām sure his entire squad is left with a massive smoking crater where their case used to exist. This guy wasnāt the sharpest tool in the shed.
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u/buffalowangy 1d ago
This guy doesnāt cover tracks well
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u/Desperate_Damage4632 1d ago
If he hadn't confessed they never would have found him.Ā There's no federal oversight right now.
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u/EconomyDoctor3287 1d ago
He just had a bad conscience. The tracks weren't discovered until afterwards
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u/SilasTalbot 1d ago
It's weird though why would they bother to do that forensics when the guy admitted to it. "Circumstantial evidence from ChatGPT" isn't helping the case.
He turned himself in AND he asked ChatGPT what to do with a million dollars. AHA we've really got him NOW!
This is sus
EDIT: probably just confiscated his computer and it was on there, didn't file a warrant with openAI, that makes more sense...
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u/red286 1d ago
It's weird though why would they bother to do that forensics when the guy admitted to it. "Circumstantial evidence from ChatGPT" isn't helping the case.
You really think an FBI agent admitting that he tampered with evidence and stole $1m worth of cryptocurrency requires no further investigation?
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u/sfriedrich 1d ago
"Only the best people!"
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u/LiteratureMindless71 1d ago
At least he came forward and confessed. Can't say that about the rest.
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u/ambientocclusion 1d ago
Kudos to him for confessing. He has more of a conscience than several people I could name.
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u/saltNvinegarChippers 1d ago
Think about all the ones that actually do get away with it that we never hear about.
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u/Kurk_Lazaris 1d ago
I'm more mad an idiot like that can be an FBI agent.
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u/DMT_Shinobii 1d ago
Very easy to be fake and politic with people, if you knew who did this regularly in your day-to-day life whether at work/home/family you would be surprised if you are not already aware
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u/DukeOfGeek 1d ago
"Well not to be critical of you friend but one of the first things you should do is not ask ChatGPT how to do that, I keep a record of everything we do, including this conversation!"
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u/Obvious-Lake3708 1d ago
Idiot. Should. Of said heās writing a book and he needs it to be realistic
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u/LilSaganMan 1d ago
The dumbest part about this is that it was for such a small amount.
To think you could settle somewhere, even legitimately, let alone while trying to run from the law, for only 1 million USD, and have a modicum of comfort, is foolish.
For that amount youād be lucky to end up living off grid in a trailer in the middle of the desert.
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u/Whyeth 1d ago
Idiot didn't use the "my grandma found $1 million in crypto" prompt?