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A U.S. indictment alleges that google engineer Michele Spagnuolo used confidential Google \u201cYear in Search\u201d data from inside the company to win more than $1.2 million trading on the prediction market Polymarket. Prosecutors say Spagnuolo-using the online name \u201calpharaccoon\u201d-placed \u201cyes\u201d or \u201cno\u201d bets on which public figures would rank in search trends, updating those bets as the private data changed from October through December 2025, and profiting after the information was publicly released. Authorities also say an FBI inquiry traced cryptocurrency payments connected to the account.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors charge Spagnuolo with violations including the Commodity Exchange Act,wire fraud,and money laundering,and Google placed the employee on leave. The companies involved say they cooperate with law enforcement, and Polymarket emphasizes that blockchain trading is traceable and that it has updated rules to bar trading based on confidential or potentially influenceable information. the case is presented as part of a broader scrutiny of prediction markets and growing concerns about insider trading<\/a> and consumer protections in the fast-moving world of online speculation. <\/p>\n