LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A Las Vegas man lost hundreds of thousands of dollars from his cryptocurrency trading account after a cyberattack, and the Nevada governor’s technology office has issued an alert about a rise in cybersecurity incidents across the state.
Mekail Sajan, who has worked in the cryptocurrency space for more than a decade, said the attack began when he clicked on an email that appeared legitimate in his Outlook account.
“I clicked on an e-mail that looked legitimate in my Outlook e-mail account,” Sajan said. “Then I saw, as we can see, a file get downloaded onto my computer.”
‘Obviously this wasn’t a windows update’
Sajan said his screens then turned blue and displayed a message telling him not to turn off his computer.
“Suddenly, all the screens just went bright blue, and there was a message, don’t turn off your computer. This is an update. Obviously, this wasn’t a Windows update,” he said.
According to Sajan, a device in Egypt hacked into his Gmail account and drained hundreds of thousands of dollars from his Kraken trading account, leaving approximately $1,000.
Sajan said he believes the attack was browser-based and tied to password synchronization across devices.
“I think it’s browser-based. Password managers, synchronization across devices, leaving yourself open and vulnerable,” he said.
“I have to believe millions, if not hundreds of millions, if not billions of people are synchronizing across browsers because it’s convenient. The real trade-off is convenience for security.”
Recent cyberattacks in the Las Vegas valley
The attack on Sajan comes amid a broader pattern of cyber incidents in the region. A statewide breach last year shut down the DMV, and the Wynn was targeted by a ransomware attack a couple of weeks ago.
Last week, the governor’s technology office sent an alert about an increase in cybersecurity incidents, reminding people to be cautious of deceptive emails, texts, and links.
State cybersecurity reminders include:
- Be cautious of unexpected emails and texts
- Do not click links or open files from unknown sources
- Be wary of callers who pressure you to act immediately
Sajan said he has filed a report with the FBI and is working with Metro Police to investigate the breach.
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