Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Ex-Coinbase Support Agent Arrested in India in Insider Data-Theft Case

The move reflects cross-border progress after Coinbase rejected a $20 million ransom, launching a reward fund.

Overview

  • Hyderabad Police arrested a former customer service agent linked to the May 2025 insider breach, according to Coinbase and CEO Brian Armstrong.
  • Coinbase says attackers bribed overseas support staff to extract customer data and demanded a $20 million ransom, which the company refused while creating a matching reward fund.
  • Regulatory filings put the impact at 69,461 affected people and show $355 million in related costs recognized to date within an estimated $180 million–$400 million range.
  • The India arrest followed coordination with U.S. authorities, including a recent Brooklyn indictment over a separate impersonation scheme that targeted Coinbase customers.
  • Coinbase says investigations remain active across jurisdictions as it tightens vetting, fraud monitoring, and access controls for customer-support operations.