Public STATEMENT Regarding Bitcoinica account hack at MtGox

[zvs]

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.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penal_Code_(Singapore)#Theft

I think he'd have a pretty good defense against a theft charge.  Are bitcoins 'moveable property'?  The criminal breach of trust seems like a slam dunk, but carries a lighter sentence

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[repentance]

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..

I disagree that it was "brilliant" in any way - it was more opportunistic than anything.  It couldn't have happened if others had their eye on the ball - and part of the reason they didn't is because Tihan was phoning it in.  If Zhou did this, I suspect it was for the lulz above all else.

[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.

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.

What he didn't get a scholarship?  

You are thinking logically, ZT had a tendency to be very arrogant in his posts.  I remember one between an exchange where he stated that his code for Bitcoinica was so good and better than their exchange's code.  Some people do illogical things because they don't think they will be caught and they believe they are smarter than other people.

[Maged]

On a lighter note, this song now has a whole new meaning:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z9Jwp2x86o

[repentance]

You are thinking logically, ZT had a tendency to be very arrogant in his posts.  I remember one between an exchange where he stated that his code for Bitcoinica was so good and better than their exchange's code.  Some people do illogical things because they don't think they will be caught and they believe they are smarter than other people.

A lot of people I know who are extremely talented in a particular field over-value their intellect and have little common sense.  They assume that because they can bamboozle others with complex knowledge, people won't question them.  In my experience, the reverse is true and the average person regards arrogant people with a considerable amount of suspicion.  There's certainly no shortage of over-confidence in the hacker/cracker community.

[zvs]

On a lighter note, this song now has a whole new meaning:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z9Jwp2x86o

haha 'waiting for my silk road medication'

i went to that site once just to see what the hype was about..  gotta admit I was tempted when I saw how much adderall sells for, seeing as how I get 120x30mg IR monthly.  I think it was like $3000 worth?

[tacotime]

could Z have also been behind the other bitcoina "hacks"?

No, none of the hacks was performed by me.

Thanks for this useful post.

can't stop laughing

[repentance]

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.

He was planning to visit the US next month. 

[Nefario]

Actually I think FellowTraveller has a point, it would actually be good for Zhou to allow this to go through the legal system, for his own safety, even if it meant he had to do time. The alternative is him having to live with a price on his head, he wouldn't be hard to track down. He would end up being the first victim of a bitcoin assasin market.

If I'm correct, not just bitcoin was stolen, but USD, and bitcoin itself at the very least could be considered property, valuable property.

Also it's currently the summer time, has Zhou moved from Singapore yet?

If criminal charges are brought against him and the Australian government/embassy is informed then they might cancel his visa.

[mc_lovin]

Whoa.  This is not exactly a surprise but it was quite a bold move to rob us a third time, Zhou, shame on you.

[Slushpuppy]

This could be one for the bitcoin history books

[greyhawk]

I like how this "hacker" is just letting all that there evidence sit around in that stevejobs mail account. Cause that's what "hackers" do. Just leave complete transaction histories laying around in easily accessible places for the "owner" of he system to find.

[dooglus]

Whoa.  This is not exactly a surprise but it was quite a bold move to rob us a third time, Zhou, shame on you.

Everyone seems to be assuming he's guilty.  I've seen no compelling evidence of that so far.  Did I miss something?

[btcprophet]

This could be one for the bitcoin history books

I keep thinking this would make a great movie, telling the story from the POV of the major players. And you won't know for sure who really did it even when the end credits roll - just like in real life.

Zhou, can I get the rest of my 50 BTC back now?

[Phinnaeus Gage]

Somebody owes me a blowjob!

And not apologizing for using 12 15 18 20pt font in bold, to boot.

I've asked this before (I believe twice), but never got an answer: Has anybody ever met Zhou Tong in person?

Watch this video (Matthew interview) again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AYlGHHnCj8 Does his voice/tone sound like to you that of a 16-year-plus-two-week-old-Asian-kid? Obviously, I'm leaning no, hence asking the question.

About him attending college in Australia. Is there any proof of that besides him stating such.

Yes, I remember the pics he posted directed at me proving who he is. I had no choice but to accept that as fact, albeit I still had, or still do, have/had doubts, but opted to drop the issue for fear of getting shunned.

Trust me, all, I'm not a nutcase. If anybody here were ever to meet me in person, you would like me. I don't mean that in an egotistical way either.

I have read every single Twitter post that Zhou has written on his handful of accounts, even translating the Chinese ones. A couple of the tweeps he avidly communicated with have recently locked their profile, of which I find weird. I can't put my finger on it, but the whole 2-3 story just doesn't feel/felt right. That's the best way I can explain it. Are there irregularities and inconsistencies? I feel yes, but it would take a hell of a lot work to prove it/them. I'll just leave it at that.

My best guess all along, again no real proof, and it was touched on a few posts up, is that this is/was a long con, started just before Bitcoin fully came onto the scene.

That's all, for the moment. Now, about that blowjob!

~Bruno~

[flatfly]

Not defending anyone (I'll leave that to the lawyers) but think about it: why would he steal the 40k usd (which is only a small fraction of the total theft) knowing full well it can easily be traced back to him?  Something doesn't make sense here.

[Maged]

Whoa.  This is not exactly a surprise but it was quite a bold move to rob us a third time, Zhou, shame on you.

Everyone seems to be assuming he's guilty.  I've seen no compelling evidence of that so far.  Did I miss something?

No, which is why you aren't seeing any cooperation on our (the forum) side. However, the question now becomes this: what would an outside hacker have needed to compromise that email address. Off the top of my head, that would mean that ZT's computer must be compromised, and that his computer was the source of all this hacking from the start. I'm curious what other ideas people might have, though.

[Rarity]

It's a shame that this lynch mob is forming based on shoddy evidence presented in an internet forum. I guess that is just the way justice works in the modern world, much like the lynch mobs going after George Zimmerman.  Zhou Tong clearly posted that his email account was hacked.  He has been the victims of hackers before and they are obviously trying to escape justice by framing their victim. It's a shame people are willing to become so manipulated instead of trying to continue to seek out the true criminals.  

[zhoutong]

I hope everyone can comment with more reasoning and less assumptions. I'm trying my best to calm down and attempt to get more information about the hacker, because he also used my email for a credit card fraud case. It's possible to discover something at that direction.

I have also listed a few people who know this secret email of mine. And I'm going to question them one by one tonight.

I'm definitely on the side of Bitcoinica customers and I believe that if the real hacker really had ties with me personally like what MagicalTux said, I may be able to recover majority of the amount back if the hacker can be warned. This issue is very serious and if I'm the hacker, I would definitely return the full amount back to reduce the criminal punishment.

The hacker seems to be a Chinese because he used Chinese punctuations in his English messages in the Aurumxchange ticket.

I will provide any information needed to the police once Bitcoinica files a police report.

[Rarity]

Thank you for handling this situation so well, you are a true professional and a model for this community.