how the hell do they get away with kind of heist? Wouldn't they be able to follow the blockchain addresses until arriving at the wallet they are using to cash out?
You won't be able to find me without the authorities forcing the exchanges to provide info since they make their own cut helping me move the funds around in transaction-fees if they keep quiet about these kinds of things. As long as I'm not too greedy/eager and don't rush things, I can collect on these funds over the course of several months. I can even spice things up by sending a bunch into an online bitcoin-gambling-site. Gamble a little bit; perhaps lose some then withdraw after a few days. So now if I had sent 10 BTC in then 9 BTC goes somewhere else, you don't know if I lost 9 BTC to the casino or if I lost 1 to the casino and 9 is going to another wallet of mine.
All this will look pretty crazy to anyone trying to follow me on the blockchain. You can't know which coins are actually mine and which belong to the exchanges & casinos. Maybe I legitimately won the jackpot; who knows.
