A California man faces charges after allegedly emptying an elderly retiree’s cryptocurrency account through repeated unauthorized transfers.
William Ly, a 26-year-old Simi Valley resident, allegedly developed a friendship with the 89-year-old victim at a local breakfast club for retirees and reset the password to his Coinbase account linked to a bank, reports the New York Post.
Authorities say the friendship went on from June 2024 until September 2025, when the elderly victim realized that he had lost tens of thousands of dollars. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office detectives began their inquiry in November 2025 after receiving a report of financial theft that involves an elderly victim.
Investigators say that more than 80 separate cryptocurrency transactions drained over $97,000 during a 15-month period. Officials traced the stolen funds to accounts and digital wallets allegedly belonging to Ly.
The suspect was arrested on August 4th on suspicion of financial elder abuse, grand theft and identity theft.
Authorities worked alongside the FBI and the Ventura County Fraud Working Group during the months-long case.
Investigators now suspect others may have been targeted as well and are urging anyone with similar experiences to come forward. Anyone who believes they may have been targeted or has information relevant to the investigation is encouraged to contact Senior Deputy Andrew Van Gundy of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office at 805-494-8231.
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The post California Man Accused of Draining Elderly Retiree’s Crypto Account of Nearly $100,000 appeared first on The Daily Hodl.
