An investigator who goes by the name ZachXBT has shared details about a year-long investigation into a Canadian scammer called ‘Haby’ or ‘Havard’. According to ZachXBT, Haby has stolen over $2 million from people by pretending to be Coinbase support. Let’s explore how he did it and what happened.
How the Scams Worked
Haby used a trick called social engineering. This means he convinced people to trust him and hand over access to their crypto wallets, which are like digital banks for cryptocurrency. Once Haby got access, he spent the money on rare usernames for social media, fancy parties with bottle service (very expensive drinks), and gambling.
What is Coinbase?
Coinbase is a well-known platform where people can buy, sell, and store cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and XRP securely. However, Haby tricked people by pretending to work for Coinbase, gaining access to their accounts and stealing their funds.
Tracking Haby’s Crimes
ZachXBT found out that Haby was openly bragging about his criminal activities in private chats. On December 30, 2024, Haby shared a screenshot of himself stealing 21,000 XRP from someone’s Coinbase account. At that time, the XRP was worth around $44,000. If you’re wondering, XRP is a type of cryptocurrency, similar to a digital version of money but used mainly for fast and cheap global transactions.
A few days later, Haby showed another screenshot from a wallet app called Exodus Wallet. The screenshot linked to his accounts on Telegram and Instagram, two social media platforms. This gave ZachXBT important clues.
Piecing the Puzzle Together
ZachXBT compared screenshots and wallet balances to prove that Haby had stolen $500,000 using his scams. He also noticed that Haby exchanged the stolen XRP into Bitcoin. If you’re unfamiliar, Bitcoin is the first-ever cryptocurrency and is very valuable in digital markets.
In February 2025, Haby showed off a wallet balance of $237,000 in another group chat. The same balance matched records from a Bitcoin wallet linked to him. ZachXBT followed the transactions and discovered three more scams. These added more than $560,000 to the total stolen amount, making the full stolen amount over $2 million.
Evidence of More Crimes
In one leaked video, Haby was caught in action talking to a victim while pretending to help. His email address and Telegram contact details were exposed in the video. ZachXBT pointed out that Haby often showed off his wealth on Instagram and Telegram, ignoring warnings from others to stop flaunting his illegal activities.
Open information from his social media posts suggests Haby lives in Abbotsford, a city in Canada near Vancouver. ZachXBT thinks Canadian police may already know about him due to other incidents. For example, Haby was linked to multiple swatting cases. Swatting is a dangerous hoax where someone falsely calls the police to another person’s house to cause trouble. ZachXBT has asked law enforcement to take action, as there is plenty of evidence against Haby.
The Bigger Problem of Scams in Crypto
Haby’s scams highlight a bigger issue in the cryptocurrency world: social engineering attacks. These attacks are when scammers trick people into sharing personal or financial details. Crypto users are especially targeted.
From December 2024 to January 2025, scammers pretending to be Coinbase support stole at least $65 million in this way. They used realistic-looking emails and phone numbers to trick victims. Once victims trusted them, they either transferred funds directly to the scammers or approved fake wallet transactions.
This problem isn’t limited to Coinbase. In the first half of 2025, hackers and scammers stole over $2 billion worth of cryptocurrency. Shockingly, more than 80% of these thefts were linked to social engineering or insider help. In one extreme case, a victim lost 783 Bitcoin, worth $91 million, after scammers pretended to offer wallet support.
What Can Be Done?
Security experts warn that as scammers improve their tricks, it’s becoming harder to recognize fake support or malicious links. One key takeaway is to never share sensitive information like passwords, wallet keys, or approval codes with anyone online unless you’re 100% sure of their identity. Always check official websites and customer service channels if in doubt.
Haby’s case serves as a major warning for crypto users. Always stay cautious and protect your funds from social engineering scams.