Blockchain detective named ZachXBT reported that an anonymous Kraken user lost 18.2 million USD in a scam suspected to be related to social engineering, with the stolen funds already moved across networks.

The perpetrator started transferring 878 ETH worth approximately 1.8 million USD from Ethereum (ETH) to Bitcoin (BTC) via THORChain using a SafePal wallet, with details presented by ZachXBT in his Telegram channel.

Social engineering victims were gathered through THORChain, another case.

The address of the theft related to this incident is 0xC55149BbD560435a9FbEabFdcF9711cf928acA21 on Ethereum, and the corresponding BTC address is 1D8f8956EEFLXN28AHfioEx4ywVbxCz8KN.

Data on the network from THOR InfoBot confirms that the streaming exchange was activated about 45 minutes before the alert was made public, which adds credibility to the allegations against ZachXBT.

THORChain, a decentralized cross-network liquidity protocol, does not require KYC identity verification, which has become a tool commonly used for laundering stolen money.

In January 2026, the attacker used the same protocol to move a total of 282 million USD in stolen BTC and Litecoin (LTC) after tricking hardware wallet users into revealing their seed phrases.

In this case, 818 BTC worth 78 million USD was exchanged for ETH, XRP, and LTC through THORChain.

This blockchain investigator has also followed the case of the theft of 330 million USD in 2025 and the disappearance of 91 million USD in August of the same year, both of which had common points related to social engineering and cross-network money transfers.

The visible amount of 878 ETH on the network may only be part of the total 18.2 million USD that is being transferred, as attackers in previous cases often split stolen assets into multiple transactions and networks simultaneously.

Both Kraken and SafePal have not yet publicly commented on this incident as of the time of writing.

The investigation is still in its early stages, while network investigators are tracking the movement of money from identified addresses.