Google worker charged with using internal data to make $1.2m on Polymarket

BBC News · 🇬🇧 public United Kingdom · May 28, 2026 · 483 words · By Kali Hays

Insider Trading Corporate Ethics Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Transparency

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Google worker charged with using internal data to make $1.2m on bets A Google employee has been arrested for allegedly using his access to company information to successfully place lucrative bets on the prediction platform Polymarket.

Claims checked 22

Techniques found 1

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left14%

Center72%

Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

The US Attorney for the Southern District of New York said it had charged Michele Spagnuolo, a Google engineer, with breaking insider trading laws because of several bets he placed through the platform.

Common ground

Although Spagnuolo is an Italian citizen who lives in Switzerland, he was arrested on Wednesday and brought before a federal judge in New York.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Insider Trading story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Spagnuolo is an Italian citizen who lives in Switzerland?
How does this story connect Insider Trading with Corporate Ethics over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c052yv259jvo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 22 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 12

check_circle Corroborated 4

info Single Source 4

help Insufficient Evidence 1

verified Verified By Reference 1

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Claim 1: “Spagnuolo is an Italian citizen who lives in Switzerland”

CORROBORATED

Cross-references from Al Jazeera and Flipboard both explicitly state that Michele Spagnuolo is an Italian citizen residing in Switzerland.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Almost Human (Italian: Milano odia: la polizia non può sparare, lit. 'Milan Hates: The Police Can't Shoot') is a 1974 Italian poliziottesco film directed by Umberto Lenzi and starring Tomas Milian, He…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almost_Human_(1974_film)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A name in the Italian language consists of a given name (Italian: nome) and a surname (cognome); in most contexts, the given name is written before the surname, although in official documents, the sur…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_name

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The revolt of Montefalcione was a popular pro-Bourbon insurrection that occurred between July 6 and 10, 1861, which had Montefalcione as its epicenter, as well as spreading to several neighboring town…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolt_of_Montefalcione

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “the FBI said it linked his accounts by finding one he had opened with an Italian identification card.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 3: “between October and December of last year, the US Attorney's office said Spagnuolo placed $2.7m in bets related to Google.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 4: “The US Attorney's office worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) on Spagnuolo's arrest.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided or found in the search results regarding the specific collaboration between the US Attorney's office and the FBI for this arrest.

info

Claim 5: “A spokesman for Polymarket said the platform "worked closely" with authorities on the investigation.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence mentions that cooperation led to charges, but a specific statement from a Polymarket spokesman is not corroborated by multiple independent sources in the provided text.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — May 27, 2026 ... Using the Alias “AlphaRaccoon,” Google Employee Michele Spagnuolo Obtained More Than $1.2 Million Trading on Polymarket on the Basis of ...
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/google-employee-charged…

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web search NEUTRAL — May 28, 2026 ... Michele Spagnuolo allegedly used insider information to profit from ... cooperation has led to insider trading charges in the United States”.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/28/google-employee-cha…

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web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago ... Authorities identified the employee as Michele Spagnuolo ... Google said it is cooperating with law enforcement authorities in the investigation.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZOg3ygCXcU/

schedule

Claim 6: “when Spagnuolo placed that bet in November, he knew that D4vd had become Google's most-searched person because he had access to information the search giant had collected before it was released to the public.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 7: “The internal information that was allegedly used was marketing material accessed "using a tool available to all employees"”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of general dictionary definitions of 'information' and does not contain any specific details about 'marketing material' or a 'tool available to all employees'.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Information is an abstract concept that refers to something which has the power to inform. At the most fundamental level, it pertains to the interpretation (perhaps formally) of that which may be sens…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information

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web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago · The meaning of INFORMATION is knowledge gained from investigation, study, or instruction. How to use information in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/information

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web search NEUTRAL — INFORMATION definition: 1. facts about a situation, person, event, etc.: 2. facts about a situation, person, event, etc…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/informat…

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Claim 8: “The US Attorney for the Southern District of New York said it had charged Michele Spagnuolo, a Google engineer, with breaking insider trading laws because of several bets he placed through the platform.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources identify the individual as Michele Spagnuolo and state he was charged by the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York for insider trading related to Polymarket.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States attorney for the Southern District of New York is the chief federal law enforcement officer in eight contiguous New York counties: the counties (coextensive boroughs of New York City…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Attorney_for_the…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida (in case citations, S.D. Fla. or S.D. Fl.) is the federal United States district court with territorial jurisdiction over the sout…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_District_Court_f…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio (in case citations, S.D. Ohio) is the federal trial court for the southern half of Ohio. The district holds court in Columbus, Cincin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_District_Court_f…

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 9: “he was arrested on Wednesday and brought before a federal judge in New York.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the arrest is corroborated, the specific detail about it being 'Wednesday' and the appearance before a judge is only mentioned in one cross-reference (Al Jazeera) and not explicitly confirmed by the other provided web search snippets.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This list of stage names lists names used by those in the entertainment industry, alphabetically by their stage name's surname followed by their birth name. Individuals who dropped their last name and…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stage_names

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Michele (pronounced [miˈkɛːle]) is an Italian male given name, akin to the English male name Michael. Michele (usually pronounced / mɪˈʃɛl / mish-EL), is also an English female given name that is deri…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michele

+ 2 more evidence sources

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Claim 10: “According to online profiles, he worked for Google for more than 12 years as an engineer focused on information security.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 11: “He allegedly placed bets against names, like Bianca Censori and President Donald Trump, and chose the singer D4vd as taking the top spot”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 12: “He has been released on a $2.25m bond, according to ABC News.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 13: “Spagnuolo allegedly used information he had early access to through his work at Google... to make bets that saw him rack up $1.2m (£894,330) in winnings.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources (ABC News, Fortune, and other web results) confirm the allegation that Spagnuolo used internal Google data to win approximately $1.2 million on Polymarket.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a list of events of the year 2026 in the United States, as well as predicted and scheduled events that have not yet occurred. July 4, 2026, will be the 250th anniversary of the signin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_in_the_United_States

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web search NEUTRAL — May 27, 2026 ... A Google staffer fraudulently made more than $1 million by using inside information to place Polymarket bets on what users were searching ...
https://abcnews.com/US/google-employee-charged-inside-inform…

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web search NEUTRAL — May 27, 2026 ... “As alleged, Spagnuolo violated the duties he owed to his employer and used Google's confidential business information to make more than $1.2 ...
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/google-employee-charged…

+ 1 more evidence source

schedule

Claim 14: “Spagnuolo allegedly traded under the account name AlphaRaccoon on Polymarket”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 15: “D4vd, a musician, is currently in jail for allegedly murdering a teenage girl.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 16: “Blockchain is a sort of digital record applied to cryptocurrency, which is the only currency Polymarket accepts.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia confirms that Polymarket is a cryptocurrency-based prediction market.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Real-time prediction market data, analytics, and dashboards for Polymarket. Track top traders and access powerful research tools for informed decision-making.
https://polymarketanalytics.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Polymarket is an American cryptocurrency -based prediction market which offers a platform where individuals can place bets on future outcomes, including sports matches, economic indicators, weather pa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymarket

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Polymarket US is operated by QCX LLC d/b/a Polymarket US, a CFTC-regulated Designated Contract Market. This international platform is not regulated by the CFTC and operates independently.
https://polymarket.com/

schedule

Claim 17: “He started using Polymarket in 2024”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 18: “A spokeswoman for Google said the company was "working with law enforcement on their investigation" and that the employee had been placed on leave.”

SINGLE SOURCE

One web search result mentions that Google said it is cooperating with law enforcement, but the specific quote about the employee being 'placed on leave' is not corroborated by a second independent source in the provided evidence.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — JSONP, or JSON-P (JSON with Padding), is a JavaScript technique for requesting data via the <script> HTML element. It was proposed by Bob Ippolito in 2005. JSONP enables sharing of data bypassing same…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSONP

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Giuseppe Maria Crespi (14 March 1665 – 16 July 1747), nicknamed Lo Spagnuolo ('The Spaniard'), was an Italian late Baroque painter of the Bolognese School. His eclectic output includes religious paint…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_Crespi

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Genovese crime family (Italian: [dʒenoˈveːze, -eːse]), also sometimes referred to as the Westside, is an Italian American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genovese_crime_family

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 19: “A Google employee has been arrested for allegedly using his access to company information to successfully place lucrative bets on the prediction platform Polymarket.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results (ABC News, Fortune, and others) confirm a Google employee was arrested/charged for using confidential company data to place bets on Polymarket.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — May 27, 2026 · The employee is charged with fraud and money laundering. Aaron Katerky has details on the case. https://abcnews.link/2HaNKSO ... it was a bet, not ...
https://www.facebook.com/WorldNewsTonight/videos/federal-pro…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — May 27, 2026 · A Google employee fraudulently made more than $1 million by using inside information to place Polymarket bets on what users were searching for ...
https://abcnews.com/US/google-employee-charged-inside-inform…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — May 28, 2026 · A Google employee is now facing federal fraud charges after prosecutors say he used confidential company data to make over $1.2 million betting ...
https://www.facebook.com/themorning.lk.official/posts/a-goog…

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Claim 20: “The court papers said Spagnuolo's most lucrative alleged Polymarket wins were correctly predicting who would and would not be the most searched for person on Google in 2025.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 21: “the betting platform had odds of that result being near zero.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 22: “By using internal information, he was able to make more than $1m in profits from those bets”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.