$9.5M stolen in crypto scam linked to 150 KuCoin addresses

In a surprising turn of events, a fake Ledger Live app on the Apple App Store caused losses totaling $9.5 million. 

On the 14th of April, blockchain investigator ZachXBT took to Telegram and highlighted that the theft affected over 50 victims across “Bitcoin, EVM, Tron, Solana, & Ripple.”

That said, the illicit activity was carried out for a week straight, from the 7th to the 13th of April.

As reported by ZachXBT, the stolen funds were funneled through more than 150 KuCoin [KCS] deposit addresses linked to AudiA6,   a centralized transaction mixer that obscures illicit funds by charging higher fees.

Remarking on the incident, the blockchain investigator noted, 

Losses faced and steps taken

In this theft, three victims faced massive losses worth “seven figures each.”

On the 8th of April, one victim faced a loss of $1.95 million, with 20.64 BTC, 211 stETH, and 70 ETH being compromised. Then, on the 9th of April, another victim lost $3.23 million in USDT. Lastly, a third victim lost $2.08 million in USDC on the 11th of April. 

Therefore, Apple removed the fake app from the App Store on the 12th of April to prevent further losses.

KuCoin steals the spotlight for the wrong reasons

Needless to say, KuCoin has witnessed increased illicit activity over the past year. As reported earlier by AMBCrypto, Bitcoin Depot recently lost $3.66 million. Therein, the stolen funds were moved to KuCoin deposit addresses.

Moreover, in January 2025, the U.S. government had imposed fines exceeding $300 million on the exchange “for violating AML laws.”

In February 2026, ZachXBT reported that Austria’s regulator had barred KuCoin from onboarding new EU users. Then, in late March 2026, Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) also flagged KuCoin for operating without registration.

Overall, these incidents highlighted the growing activity of bad actors, with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center [IC3] recently reporting $11.36 billion in crypto‑related fraud losses.

Final Summary

• Over 150 KuCoin deposit addresses linked to AudiA6 moved the stolen funds, leaving three victims to bear the brunt of this crypto theft.
• KuCoin, over the past year, has paid $300 million in fines to the U.S. Government.