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Pump dot Fun exploiter identified and arrested in London

source-logo  blockworks.co 19 May 2024 15:38, UTC

The alleged exploiter of Solana memecoin protocol Pump dot Fun has been arrested in London.

British police apprehended Jarett Dunn, a former contractor for the protocol, who is known online as @STACCoverflow, in the early morning hours of Saturday, according to a source familiar with the operation.

A third-party stakeholder contracted with a private intelligence firm to locate Dunn, the source told Blockworks.

A screenshot of Dunn’s Binance account linked to his pseudonym and circulating online is authentic, the source confirmed.

Read more: Pump.fun pauses trading after apparent flash loan attack

The 26-hour intelligence operation, which the source described as “a slow burn,” used Instagram posts and other “open source intelligence” to identify Dunn’s approximate whereabouts in London.

“A massive manhunt” using local operatives, known as “auxiliaries,” contracted by the firm, then ensued.

After canvasing the area, Dunn was ultimately located in a room at the Middle Eight Hotel, in London’s Covent Garden neighborhood, where he was arrested 7 hours later.

The timing aligns with the last X post of @STACCverflow, made Friday evening London-time. The profile name references “j’arrête” — meaning “I’m done” in French — but appears to carry a hidden double meaning to his real first name, Jarett.

Read more: Lightspeed Newsletter: The Pump.fun exploit draws yawns and jeers

Dunn was subsequently released on bail according to @JarettDunn on X, and confirmed by the intelligence firm source.

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He is expected to remain in the UK pending a further court-mandated appearance in August.

Dunn is alleged to have exploited admin keys to the protocol and was able to siphon roughly $2 million in funds from newly launched memecoins over a period of approximately 100 minutes last week.

The team then redeployed the smart contracts under new admin privileges to restore safe access, according to the site’s official X account, and has pledged to compensate affected users, while pursuing the perpetrator.

blockworks.co