$220K bitcoin scam blindsides a mining CEO with Kent Halliburton

Kent is the CEO of Sazmining and a longtime bitcoiner who previously led large-scale solar operations before building a non-custodial bitcoin mining platform. Recently, he became the victim of a sophisticated in-person scam that resulted in the loss of $220,000 worth of bitcoin. In this episode, Kent joins The Bitcoin Frontier to share exactly what happened during the scam, what red flags he missed, and why he decided to go public. We dig into the psychology of social engineering, how attackers exploit self-interest, and why even experienced bitcoiners remain vulnerable. We also cover how to build operational security inside a business to mitigate social engineering attacks, how families can prepare for deepfake attacks, and why bitcoin’s immutability still strengthens personal responsibility even in difficult moments. SUPPORT THE PODCAST:  → Subscribe  → Leave a review  → Share the show with your friends and family  → Send us an email: podcast@unchained.com  → Learn more about Unchained: https://unchained.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast  → Book a free call with a bitcoin expert: https://unchained.com/consultation?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 – Intro & Kent’s disclosure of a $220k bitcoin scam 3:20 – Why he chose to go public: PSA, law-enforcement pressure, and justice 7:10 – Kent’s background in solar, bitcoin, and building Sazmining 10:05 – The setup: a “family office” deal, travel, and early yellow flags 14:40 – The first meeting in Amsterdam & unusual trust-building exercises 19:00 – How the attackers built credibility and portrayed ultra-wealth 23:15 – The second meeting, Atomic Wallet, and how the sweep unfolded 28:40 – The psychological trap: self-interest, exhaustion, and urgency 34:00 – Why immutability didn’t shake his conviction in bitcoin 37:25 – Internal policy changes: whitelisting, diligence, and cooling-off periods 41:50 – Distinguishing roles: CEO instincts vs. bitcoiner instincts 45:05 – Scam evolution, social engineering, and the danger of urgency 49:20 – Efforts to recover funds & the limits of both private and public options 54:10 – How AI deepfakes raise the stakes for family safety 57:20 – Why code words, local trust, and multisig can protect loved ones 59:40 – Closing thoughts, personal accountability & Sazmining’s mission WHERE TO FOLLOW US:  → Unchained X: https://x.com/unchained   → Unchained LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unchainedcom   → Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter  → Kent Halliburton’s Twitter: https://x.com/khalliburton   → Timot Lamarre’s Twitter: https://x.com/TimotLamarre