Public STATEMENT Regarding Bitcoinica account hack at MtGox

[zhoutong]

Damn.  I have trust in ZT for reason still.  Innocent until proven guilty, IMO.  There is a chance there could be someone close to him fucking him over.  It would have to be someone real close, perhaps the person you were giving this money to?  He would know this would look suspicious because he timed it as such.

If there is a way for GMail to get involved to hash out the IP situation that would be ideal.  

ZT- if you did this buddy, best thing to do is to seriously pay everyone back and accept whatever leaner penalties come your way.  Way too much ahead in your life to be messing around with $200,000.  In your best years ahead that would be a monthly take home easy.  I am still giving you the benefit of the doubt, but if you really did man, well seriously, it is time to give up and return it all now.  You can still salvage your life.

There's no reason that I'd forgo my integrity and all the reputation for just $200,000 at such a young age. I was working very hard for my new project (and a new homepage design will be deployed today) and it's simply outside my attention to commit such a thing.

I'll commit any reasonable effort to get justice back.

[zhoutong]

I'll try to ask my friend if he's okay with publicizing the related transactions, or I can wait until the investigation is concluded (or the real hacker being found).

Anyway I have already sent out the certified copy of my AML documents and they should arrive in 2-3 days. I hope my Mt. Gox account can be unblocked then.

No offense, you should shut up and get a lawyer? Well, if you're still posting after that, I doubt no advice will help you now.

I requested the corporate address of AurumXchange so that I can possibly engage a lawyer to deal with their investigation. However they released this "statement" without notifying me. I was totally shocked because I didn't have a single clue about their investigation. It's really unfair that they are willing to release information to the public but not me.

[kiba]

There's no reason that I'd forgo my integrity and all the reputation for just $200,000 at such a young age. I was working very hard for my new project (and a new homepage design will be deployed today) and it's simply outside my attention to commit such a thing.

I'll commit any reasonable effort to get justice back.

Now, if you really are innocent, you seem to have exercised very poor judgement about pretty much everything.(your friend, not taking advice of security professionals, etc) And if you're cleared, you still have the reputation of high integrity, but nobody would ever trust you because you lack wisdom. (At least, I wouldn't)

[MagicalTux]

There's no reason that I'd forgo my integrity and all the reputation for just $200,000 at such a young age. I was working very hard for my new project (and a new homepage design will be deployed today) and it's simply outside my attention to commit such a thing.

I'll commit any reasonable effort to get justice back.

Considering the number of elements published so far, the criminal behind this is someone with really close ties to Bitcoinica and/or you. We have some more evidence that we haven't published yet but also points in that direction.

We will comply (and I am sure AurumXchange will too) with any investigation aiming at solving this mess.

[stochastic]

Damn.  I have trust in ZT for reason still.  Innocent until proven guilty, IMO.  There is a chance there could be someone close to him fucking him over.  It would have to be someone real close, perhaps the person you were giving this money to?  He would know this would look suspicious because he timed it as such.

If there is a way for GMail to get involved to hash out the IP situation that would be ideal.  

ZT- if you did this buddy, best thing to do is to seriously pay everyone back and accept whatever leaner penalties come your way.  Way too much ahead in your life to be messing around with $200,000.  In your best years ahead that would be a monthly take home easy.  I am still giving you the benefit of the doubt, but if you really did man, well seriously, it is time to give up and return it all now.  You can still salvage your life.

There's no reason that I'd forgo my integrity and all the reputation for just $200,000 at such a young age. I was working very hard for my new project (and a new homepage design will be deployed today) and it's simply outside my attention to commit such a thing.

I'll commit any reasonable effort to get justice back.

When I was young these guys from my high school thought they could rob a McDonald's safe by using a blowtorch and cut a hole through it.  They did it because they thought they would not get caught.  Unfortunately, the McDonald's caught on fire from the grease and my uncle was killed in the fire (he was a firefighter).

[LightRider]

There are no winners in the game of money.

[kiba]

Considering the number of elements published so far, the criminal behind this is someone with really close ties to Bitcoinica and/or you. We have some more evidence that we haven't published so far but also points in that direction.

We will comply (and I am sure AurumXchange will too) with any investigation aiming at solving this mess.

Can you confirm or deny that a police investigation is ongoing?

[MagicalTux]

Considering the number of elements published so far, the criminal behind this is someone with really close ties to Bitcoinica and/or you. We have some more evidence that we haven't published so far but also points in that direction.

We will comply (and I am sure AurumXchange will too) with any investigation aiming at solving this mess.

Can you confirm or deny that a police investigation is ongoing?

As of today, we have received no contact from any involved party stating a police investigation is ongoing, nor any contact from any law enforcement agency regarding anything related to Bitcoinica.

[dancingnancy]

Is there anyway someone could "spoof" an IP Address to make it seem like it was coming from somewhere it really wasn't?

[MagicalTux]

Is there anyway someone could "spoof" an IP Address to make it seem like it was coming from somewhere it really wasn't?

TCP (and therefore HTTP) makes this extremely difficult.

[Vladimir]

Is there anyway someone could "spoof" an IP Address to make it seem like it was coming from somewhere it really wasn't?

Highly unlikely, these are TCP/IP connections we are talking about.

[repentance]

There's no reason that I'd forgo my integrity and all the reputation for just $200,000 at such a young age. I was working very hard for my new project (and a new homepage design will be deployed today) and it's simply outside my attention to commit such a thing.

I'll commit any reasonable effort to get justice back.

Now, if you really are innocent, you seem to have exercised very poor judgement about pretty much everything.(your friend, not taking advice of security professionals, etc) And if you're cleared, you still have the reputation of high integrity, but nobody would ever trust you because you lack wisdom. (At least, I wouldn't)

Meh. Wisdom comes with age.  If Zhou has made mistakes which have made it possible for someone else to perpetrate this crime (a suggestion I make only because my own children share way too much information with others without thinking about how it might be used), I doubt he'll still be making them by the time he's 30.  Throughout all of this, Zhou has acted with great maturity at some times and like a petulant teenager at others - which is to be expected.  If he's found innocent of any wrong-doing, this isn't going to haunt him in the long term.

[LoupGaroux]

I'll try to ask my friend if he's okay with publicizing the related transactions, or I can wait until the investigation is concluded (or the real hacker being found).

Anyway I have already sent out the certified copy of my AML documents and they should arrive in 2-3 days. I hope my Mt. Gox account can be unblocked then.

No offense, you should shut up and get a lawyer? Well, if you're still posting after that, I doubt no advice will help you now.

I requested the corporate address of AurumXchange so that I can possibly engage a lawyer to deal with their investigation. However they released this "statement" without notifying me. I was totally shocked because I didn't have a single clue about their investigation. It's really unfair that they are willing to release information to the public but not me.

Businesses that have been victimized by criminals rarely provide notice to the number one suspect in the crime before bringing charges. I suspect that given the level of cooperation between the businesses targeted here, and the level of sophistication of the folks running those businesses, that this statement was made only after evidence was provided to the applicable law enforcement agencies, and all their ducks were in a row preparing for the prosecution of the criminal behind this theft. There is no consideration of warning any suspect, and I believe that even Zhou would have to agree that he is Suspect Number One in this circumstance.

[kiba]

Meh. Wisdom comes with age.  

I am not much older than Zhou Tong is. I am only 21. I believe wisdom is often obtained by learning of others' experience. (Mybitcoin hack incident, bitcoinica hack incident, etc)

After the last theft, I secure all my online bitcoin accounts with 2 factor authentication.

[LightRider]

We would like to make a few points:

• I want to thank Roberto for leading the investigation on this one with Mark and myself. We pooled together our resources to connect the dots and paper trail. This just shows that even competitors can work together for the better of the Bitcoin community.
• I can confirm that both Tihan from Bitcoinica LP and Patrick from Bitcoin Consultancy were both alerted about this investigation personally face-to-face by me. I urged them to seek legal action and request clarification from Zhou. I also requested that they decline him further access to any funds in any of the accounts.
• Both assured me separately that action is being taken on this front and on the claims front. They assured me that the claims process will continue pending legal clarifications.
• As you can imagine, we had to keep this information to ourselves for 10 days or so until we can completely verify all the information we presented here.

As more information comes to light and verified, we will release it to you as soon as possible.

Thanks,

Charlie, Bitinstant.

This post is pretty light on statements of fact. Is there anything of substance regarding the incident that can be shared right now?

[dancingnancy]

There's no reason that I'd forgo my integrity and all the reputation for just $200,000 at such a young age. I was working very hard for my new project (and a new homepage design will be deployed today) and it's simply outside my attention to commit such a thing.

I'll commit any reasonable effort to get justice back.

Now, if you really are innocent, you seem to have exercised very poor judgement about pretty much everything.(your friend, not taking advice of security professionals, etc) And if you're cleared, you still have the reputation of high integrity, but nobody would ever trust you because you lack wisdom. (At least, I wouldn't)

Meh. Wisdom comes with age.  If Zhou has made mistakes which have made it possible for someone else to perpetrate this crime (a suggestion I make only because my own children share way too much information with others without thinking about how it might be used), I doubt he'll still be making them by the time he's 30.  Throughout all of this, Zhou has acted with great maturity at some times and like a petulant teenager at others - which is to be expected.  If he's found innocent of any wrong-doing, this isn't going to haunt him in the long term.

I would agree.  I mean honestly if ZT really did pull this heist and the subsequent others, he is truly one hell of a master manipulator and social engineering genius at a young age.  If he really did all this I can see a bright future in one of the USA's alphabet agencies.  I am also the last person in the room to accuse anyone of wrong doing tbh..

[zvs]

Damn.  I have trust in ZT for reason still.  Innocent until proven guilty, IMO.  There is a chance there could be someone close to him fucking him over.  It would have to be someone real close, perhaps the person you were giving this money to?  He would know this would look suspicious because he timed it as such.

If there is a way for GMail to get involved to hash out the IP situation that would be ideal.  

ZT- if you did this buddy, best thing to do is to seriously pay everyone back and accept whatever leaner penalties come your way.  Way too much ahead in your life to be messing around with $200,000.  In your best years ahead that would be a monthly take home easy.  I am still giving you the benefit of the doubt, but if you really did man, well seriously, it is time to give up and return it all now.  You can still salvage your life.

There's no reason that I'd forgo my integrity and all the reputation for just $200,000 at such a young age. I was working very hard for my new project (and a new homepage design will be deployed today) and it's simply outside my attention to commit such a thing.

I'll commit any reasonable effort to get justice back.

I made over $200,000 selling Everquest stuff when I was in high school.  Barely worth my time, really.  I mean, when I'm 17, $200,000 is just like some peanuts

[Nefario]

I would say it is wise for someone to press criminal charges in Singapore immediately(that is where he is living right?), fraud/embezzelment/money laundering (this is what it's called when you transfer money "for a friend", lots of USD involved not just bitcoin), doesn't really matter. He should have his passport taken from him by the police to prevent him fleeing as once he is back in Main land China or another country it will be very difficult to catch him.

If he is innocent then he has nothig to worry about, it will all show in court. The time for talking on the forums has ended and the time for using the justice system that is available has arrived.

Nefario.

[kiba]

I would say it is wise for someone to press criminal charges in Singapore immediately(that is where he is living right?), fraud/embezzelment/money laundering (this is what it's called when you transfer money "for a friend", lots of USD involved not just bitcoin), doesn't really matter. He should have his passport taken from him by the police to prevent him fleeing as once he is back in Main land China or another country it will be very difficult to catch him.

AFAIK, he attends school in Australia.

[dancingnancy]

Damn.  I have trust in ZT for reason still.  Innocent until proven guilty, IMO.  There is a chance there could be someone close to him fucking him over.  It would have to be someone real close, perhaps the person you were giving this money to?  He would know this would look suspicious because he timed it as such.

If there is a way for GMail to get involved to hash out the IP situation that would be ideal.  

ZT- if you did this buddy, best thing to do is to seriously pay everyone back and accept whatever leaner penalties come your way.  Way too much ahead in your life to be messing around with $200,000.  In your best years ahead that would be a monthly take home easy.  I am still giving you the benefit of the doubt, but if you really did man, well seriously, it is time to give up and return it all now.  You can still salvage your life.

There's no reason that I'd forgo my integrity and all the reputation for just $200,000 at such a young age. I was working very hard for my new project (and a new homepage design will be deployed today) and it's simply outside my attention to commit such a thing.

I'll commit any reasonable effort to get justice back.

I made over $200,000 selling Everquest stuff when I was in high school.  Barely worth my time, really.  I mean, when I'm 17, $200,000 is just like some peanuts

The kid paid off his college tuition and other shit already through bitcoinica, IIRC.  Why the fuck would you ever get involved in this shit?  Yeah, people die for less than $200,000 - but for a kid, literally a kid, that has already achieved what he has to do this is truly over the top insane.  I hope it really wasn't him.  Or if it is "him," I hope he isn't whom we all think he really is.