Teens Charged in Failed $66M Scottsdale Crypto Heist; Handlers ‘Red’ and ‘8’ Remain at Large
Two teens drove 600 miles to execute a violent $66M crypto robbery allegedly directed by anonymous Signal handlers, marking a sharp rise in ‘wrench attacks.’
Two California teenagers are facing adult felony charges after driving 600 miles to Scottsdale, Arizona, in a botched attempt to rob a family of $66 million in cryptocurrency. The case, detailed in court documents reported by Fox 10, exposes a disturbing evolution in crypto crime: the recruitment of minors via encrypted apps to execute violent, physical "wrench attacks" on high-net-worth holders.
The Signal Recruiters
Police allege the 16- and 17-year-old suspects were directed by anonymous handlers known only as "Red" and "8" on Signal. These operators reportedly provided the victims’ home address and wired $1,000 to fund the operation. The money was used to purchase zip ties, duct tape, and fake delivery uniforms to bypass the home’s initial security layer.
This "crime-as-a-service" model effectively insulates the masterminds while offloading the physical risk to disposable proxies. Investigators noted the teens had only recently met, suggesting they were assembled specifically for this job.
3D-Printed Arms and Duct Tape
The raid itself reads like a cyberpunk dystopia. Wearing delivery disguises, the teens allegedly forced their way into the Sweetwater Ranch property, restraining two adults with duct tape while demanding access to digital assets. The weapon recovered at the scene, a 3D-printed handgun, adds another layer of technical accessibility to the violence, though police noted it was unloaded.
The heist collapsed when an adult son, hiding elsewhere in the house, dialed 911. Officers arrived to find a violent struggle in progress; the suspects fled in a blue Subaru but were cornered at a nearby dead end.
The ‘Wrench Attack’ Surge
This incident is not an outlier. It aligns with a sharp rise in offline violence targeting crypto wealth. Security firm CertiK reported 72 verified physical attacks in 2025, a 75% jump from the previous year, while researcher Jameson Lopp logged over 70 similar incidents. As on-chain security (multisig, time-locks) becomes harder to crack, criminals are reverting to the oldest exploit in the book: physical coercion.
"2025 marks a clear inflection point: physical violence is now a core threat vector in the crypto ecosystem.", CertiK Report
With data breaches at major exchanges exposing home addresses (like the 2025 Coinbase support breach cited by researchers), the barrier between on-chain balances and real-world danger has dissolved.
