Data Scientist Unlocks 9 Million AUD Crypto for AFP Investigation in Australia

Australian authorities investigating a suspected criminal accused of accumulating cryptocurrency through the sale of technology products to alleged offenders have accessed a cryptocurrency wallet worth 9 million Australian dollars.

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The Australian Federal Police found password-protected notes on the suspect’s phone, along with an image containing sequences of numbers and words. AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the sequences were divided into six groups with over 50 possible combinations.

Altered Sequences Reveal Hidden Cryptocurrency

The digital forensics team determined the information was likely linked to a crypto wallet. The suspect reportedly refused to provide the keys, an act that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in Australia.

Barrett noted that without access to the wallet, the suspect could leave prison with millions obtained from alleged criminal activity. A data scientist at the AFP identified that the sequences had been intentionally altered, requiring the removal of the first number from each string to recover the wallet’s 24-word seed phrase.

The AFP said some sequences appeared deliberately modified by a human rather than generated by a computer.

Seized Crypto Funds Could Aid Crime Prevention

This is not the team’s first crypto recovery. Previously, the same staff member helped retrieve over $3 million in digital assets. The funds were seized by the AFP’s Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce. If courts approve confiscation, the money will be placed in a commonwealth account and distributed for crime prevention under Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke.

Australia Warns of Rising Crypto Scams

In Australia, crypto-related recovery scams are on the rise. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission warned that fraudsters are impersonating its representatives, asking victims for payments to release funds or assets.

ASIC emphasized it does not request payments in any currency, including digital or crypto assets, and does not authorize third parties to use its logo. The regulator has removed over 10,000 scam websites. Similar cases have occurred internationally, including a recent incident in Malaysia involving a forex broker.