Netflix documentary faces legal threats for alleged inaccuracies in Bitcoin heist story
Netflix documentary faces legal threats in Bitcoin heist story
Netflix is facing legal challenges over its documentary Biggest Heist Ever, which examines the infamous 2016 Bitfinex Bitcoin theft.
Heather Morgan, also known by her rap persona "Razzlekhan," and her husband, Ilya Lichtenstein, are central figures in the film, which alleges their involvement in laundering billions of dollars in stolen cryptocurrency, according to Coingape.
Morgan’s attorneys have sent cease-and-desist letters to Netflix and its production partner, Library Films, accusing them of defamation and privacy violations.
The letters allege that the documentary falsely depicts Morgan and Lichtenstein as having purchased stolen identity documents, including passports and debit cards, on the dark web. Her legal team argues that these claims are not only unfounded but could have been disproven with basic research.
Alleged Inaccuracies Spark Legal Action
According to the letters, public court records confirm that Morgan did not participate in the Bitfinex hack itself. Her attorneys assert that the film misrepresents her role, unfairly damaging her reputation and perpetuating false narratives about her involvement.
The legal team is also contesting claims that Morgan’s father-in-law was identified as a hacker in the film, calling this statement defamatory and unsupported by evidence.
Morgan’s legal representatives have demanded a retraction and an apology from Netflix, arguing that the documentary’s inaccuracies could lead to long-term reputational harm for their client.
Netflix has yet to respond publicly to the allegations. The controversy highlights the challenges of balancing compelling storytelling with factual accuracy in true-crime documentaries, an increasingly popular genre for streaming platforms. Whether the legal threats will result in changes to the film remains to be seen.
Bitcoin's rapid growth and mainstream adoption have been compared to transformative success stories like Netflix. Venture capitalist Tim Draper sees Bitcoin as a disruptive force poised to reshape its domain, much like Netflix revolutionized its industry.
