tech
January 20, 2026
How my Coinbase account was almost stolen
A scammer almost convinced me to give him all the money in my Coinbase account.
TL;DR
- A reporter received a phone call from an unknown number with a San Francisco area code, claiming to be from Coinbase security.
- The caller, identifying himself as Brian Miller, stated there was suspicious activity on the reporter's account, including an attempted login from Germany and a transfer by someone using the reporter's personal information.
- The scammer used pressure tactics, mentioning the reporter's Social Security number, phone, email, and a photo matching the Coinbase face scan to create a sense of urgency and fear.
- The reporter's suspicions grew when the caller insisted a photo was required for a Coinbase account, which the reporter had never provided.
- The scammer sent emails with case numbers that appeared legitimate but were routed through suspicious domains, which an AI chatbot identified as a phishing tactic.
- When asked direct questions about account details, the scammer provided evasive answers, further raising suspicion.
- The reporter contacted Coinbase directly, confirming that the call was a scam and that Coinbase does not typically call customers in this manner.
- Coinbase stated that they invest heavily in security and would never advise customers to move funds to a 'safe wallet,' and noted the increasing use of AI and automation in scam attempts.
- Experts warn that scammers use urgency and fear, and advise slowing down, verifying information independently, and not acting under pressure.
- A firm specializing in recovering stolen crypto assets reported a 1,400% increase in impersonation scams, noting that AI is used to multiply scammer workforces and that crypto has less protection than traditional banking.
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