Man who posed as Google and Trezor support to steal 185 BTC sentenced to 25 months
A Canadian man was sentenced on 26 October 2026 in Miami to 25 months for laundering stolen crypto after posing as Google, crypto-firm and Trezor support; about 185 BTC was taken from one victim.
- First reported
- Reports
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Source: cybernews.com · published
What happened
On 29 October 2026 Cybernews reported on the sentencing of a Canadian man to 25 months in prison. Cybernews calls him "Tyler Johnston"; CBC News and other reports give his name as Trenton Richard David ("Trent") Johnston. A federal judge in Miami sentenced him on 26 October 2026 after he pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to the reports, he and others posed as customer-support staff of Google, cryptocurrency companies and the wallet maker Trezor to get victims to hand over wallet access codes. Google and Trezor were impersonated and are not involved.
How the scam works
The scheme, which prosecutors say ran from January 2024 to March 2026, relied on phone calls that told victims their accounts or wallets had already been compromised. In the best-known case, on 13 March 2026, a victim in California received two calls, one from someone claiming to be from Google and one from a supposed Trezor representative, and handed over codes that gave access to two accounts. About 185 bitcoin, worth roughly US$13 million at the time and described as the victim's life savings, was stolen. Court documents quoted by CBC include a text in which he told an accomplice about the theft. Reports say he lived lavishly in the Miami area and was arrested in North Miami in March 2026 after a traffic stop led to the seizure of his phone, computer and handwritten notes with wallet codes.
He surrendered about US$3.8 million in bitcoin and ether. Prosecutors had asked for 51 to 63 months, and the sentence was lower after his cooperation, according to Cybernews. He is expected to be deported to Canada after serving his sentence, and a separate Florida drug-possession case remains outstanding. A fraud that begins with a call claiming a wallet is "already compromised" can end with a life savings lost.
Source
CBC News, 27 October 2026 (sentencing report); Cybernews, 29 October 2026 ("Crypto scammer steals $13M in Bitcoin, brags on Signal"); Crypto Times, 29 October 2026.
Red flags
- A call or message claiming your wallet or Google account has been "compromised" and needs urgent action.
- A caller who claims to be from Google, a crypto firm or Trezor support and asks for access codes.
- Requests to read out or share one-time codes, recovery phrases or remote-access codes.
- Pressure to move funds to a "safe" wallet immediately.
- Several callers in turn, each from a different supposed company, to add credibility.
If you were targeted
- 1Hang up on unexpected support calls and contact the company only through its official website or app.
- 2Never share recovery phrases, one-time codes or remote-access codes with anyone who contacts you.
- 3Remember that Google and hardware-wallet makers such as Trezor do not call customers to ask for access codes.
- 4If you shared codes, move assets to a new wallet immediately, secure your accounts and report to the police and the FBI's IC3.
- 5Keep records of the call, numbers and transactions to help investigators.