FBI undercover agent paid $250 in Bitcoin to assist in capturing serial hacker IntelBroker

According to The Block, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has assisted in the capture of Kai West, a British citizen (also known as "IntelBroker"), who is suspected of being a serial hacker. West and his accomplices are suspected of selling data stolen from over 40 victims, primarily using the privacy token Monero for transactions. In January 2023, an undercover law enforcement officer offered West $250 in Bitcoin to purchase victim data, and West accepted the payment, a crucial move that allowed the police to track him down. Experts from blockchain forensics company TRM Labs said that this case highlights the progress of law enforcement agencies in the field of encryption, using traditional undercover methods for blockchain crime investigations. West was arrested in France in February this year and is awaiting extradition, facing multiple charges. The FBI estimates that his hacking activities caused a total loss of approximately $25 million to the victims.