Crypto Crime News

Crypto theft totaled $73 million in January 2025, a 44% drop compared to $133 million in January 2024, according to Immunefi.

Justin Sun, the founder of TRON and an advisor to HTX Global, has announced that TRON DAO successfully blocked over $26 million in questionable transactions by working closely with law enforcement agencies.

The release of Faruk Fatih Özer, the founder of defunct crypto exchange Thodex, has ignited public outrage, despite his alleged role in a major fraud case involving 94 million lira in losses.

With market optimism fueling increased activity, Binance CEO Richard Teng is warning investors to stay alert against Ponzi schemes and fraudulent crypto projects.

A recent investigation has revealed that $29 million worth of Sui (SUI) was stolen from a single victim in December.

French authorities have intensified their scrutiny of Binance, launching a judicial investigation into allegations of financial misconduct.

The soaring popularity of Donald and Melania Trump-themed meme coins has created fertile ground for scammers to exploit unsuspecting investors.

Indian crypto exchange WazirX has secured approval from the Singapore High Court to move forward with its restructuring plan, aimed at compensating users affected by a $235 million cyberattack in July 2024.

In a concerning escalation of cyberattacks, hackers recently compromised the official Nasdaq X account to promote a fraudulent memecoin called STONKS.

A cryptocurrency entrepreneur known as “The Godfather” and an LA County sheriff’s deputy are facing federal charges, including tax evasion and conspiracy.

The official X account of the Cuban government was reportedly involved in an apparent rug-pull scheme linked to a Cuba-themed memecoin, sparking speculation that the country was trying to capitalize on the growing memecoin craze following Donald Trump’s recent launch.

An Indian national, Anurag Pramod Murarka, has been sentenced to over 10 years in a U.S. federal prison for orchestrating a global money-laundering network that leveraged cryptocurrency to hide illicit funds.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a lawsuit against Nova Labs, accusing the creators of the Helium Network of misleading investors and violating securities laws.

Months after a $230 million security breach, Indian crypto exchange WazirX has taken a major step forward by freezing $3 million in stolen USDT.

In South Korea, authorities have arrested a woman suspected of stealing 700 million won ($480,000) in cryptocurrency from a friend to resolve her financial troubles.

A Russian diamond mining employee has been sentenced to seven years in a maximum-security prison for allegedly providing financial support to Ukraine’s Armed Forces through cryptocurrency transactions.

Crypto investors are increasingly being targeted by malware attacks on Telegram, according to blockchain security firm Scam Sniffer.

A federal court has ordered the return of 94,643 Bitcoin, seized after the 2016 Bitfinex hack, back to the exchange.

Stablecoins, once seen as a reliable asset in the crypto market, have become the most-used currency for illicit activities, accounting for 63% of all criminal transactions in 2024, according to Chainalysis’ 2025 Crypto Crime Report.

A pastor from Washington state, Francier Obando Pinillo, has been indicted for allegedly defrauding over 1,500 people through a cryptocurrency scheme called Solano Fi.

A cryptocurrency firm co-founder has admitted to defrauding thousands of investors through false claims of high returns, raising over $9 million before his scheme unraveled.

On January 11, Litecoin’s official social media account fell victim to a brief hacking incident, during which a scammer attempted to promote a fake Litecoin token on the Solana network.

In a significant crackdown, Thai authorities have confiscated nearly 1,000 Bitcoin mining devices from a company accused of illegally tapping into the local power grid.

A young male citizen of the Netherlands has been arrested after allegedly defrauding over 300 people out of millions of euros.

OKX, a popular cryptocurrency exchange, has issued a warning regarding fraudulent browser extensions that have appeared in the Firefox plugin store.

Recently, a Pakistani cryptocurrency trader, was kidnapped by a group involving law enforcement officers and held for ransom.

A UK court has ordered the seizure of approximately $4.3 million in Bitcoin from Alexander Surin, a notorious crime boss known as “Don Car-Leone,” after he failed to demonstrate that the crypto assets were acquired through legitimate means.

In 2024, Kazakhstan intensified its efforts to tackle money laundering by shutting down 36 illegal cryptocurrency exchanges, a sharp decline of 96% compared to the previous year.

Indian crypto exchange CoinSwitch has launched a ₹600 crore ($69.9 million) recovery fund to assist users impacted by the July 2024 WazirX security breach.

U.S. prosecutors have revealed that the collapse of Terraform Labs’ TerraUSD and Luna cryptocurrencies may have impacted over one million individuals and entities worldwide.

Crypto lawyer and XRP advocate John Deaton has issued a cautionary message to investors about the increasing prevalence of scams targeting the digital asset industry.

Do Kwon, co-founder of Terraform Labs, appeared in a U.S. federal court on January 2, 2025, marking his first legal proceeding since being extradited from Montenegro.

Radiant Capital, a cross-chain lending protocol, is currently grappling with the aftermath of a major security breach that resulted in the loss of millions in funds.

Stephen Akridge, co-founder of Solana, is being sued by his ex-wife, Elisa Rossi, who claims he misappropriated millions in cryptocurrency from her wallet.

The rise of cryptocurrency in France has unfortunately also fueled a surge in financial scams, leaving regulators and authorities scrambling to protect the public.

Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon is set to be extradited to the United States, marking a decisive turn in the prolonged legal saga following the collapse of LUNA and UST tokens.

A hacker has been using a deceptive strategy to gain control of high-profile accounts on X, the social media platform, and is using them to push a fake memecoin.

In May 2024, a massive hack targeted the Japanese cryptocurrency exchange DMM, resulting in the theft of over $300 million in Bitcoin.

Hyperliquid Labs, the developer behind the HYPE token, has addressed recent claims alleging the involvement of North Korean hackers in a cyberattack against its platform.

Interpol has issued a Red Notice for Richard James Schueler, known in the cryptocurrency world as Richard Heart, the founder of HEX and PulseChain.

Nearly six years after Cryptopia’s infamous 2019 hack, liquidators have begun compensating the platform’s affected users.

UK judge sentenced self-proclaimed Bitcoin creator Craig Wright to a year in prison for contempting the court.

A South Korean politician has been sentenced to prison for hiding millions in cryptocurrency during his time in office.

The U.S. Treasury Department has targeted a North Korean crypto money laundering scheme, imposing sanctions on individuals and entities in the UAE.

A man posing as an Uber driver in the United States has been arrested after allegedly stealing around $300,000 worth of cryptocurrency from two unsuspecting passengers.

A Bitcoin investor from Texas has become the first person charged with criminal tax evasion related to cryptocurrency transactions.

On October 16, 2024, Radiant Capital, a decentralized lending protocol, suffered a major security breach, resulting in a $50 million loss.

A significant security breach recently rocked the Dogecoin network, with a hacker successfully exploiting a vulnerability that led to 69% of its nodes going offline.

A recent theft involving Coinbase Commerce has been uncovered by crypto investigator ZachXBT, revealing that over $15.9 million worth of USDC was stolen from a vendor.

Roni Cohen-Pavon, formerly the chief revenue officer at Celsius, will not face sentencing this week as initially scheduled.

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on several individuals and entities tied to a Russian money laundering operation that utilized Tether (USDT) and other cryptocurrencies for illicit transactions.

A prominent cryptocurrency platform has suffered a major cyberattack, leading to a $50 million theft on October 16, 2024.

A Russian national linked to the now-defunct WEX cryptocurrency exchange has been arrested in Poland on charges related to fraud and money laundering.

Crypto sleuth Coffeezilla has pushed back against the spread of misinformation surrounding the recent memecoin launch by influencer Hailey Welch, also known as “Hawk Tuah.”

French authorities are delving into accusations against Telegram founder Pavel Durov, alleging the platform’s involvement in facilitating criminal activities.

David Brend and Gustavo Rodriguez, the masterminds behind the IcomTech cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme, have been sentenced to 10 and 8 years in prison, respectively.

The founder of the darknet marketplace Hydra, Stanislav Moiseev, has been sentenced to life in prison by a Moscow court for his involvement in a range of criminal activities.

Alex Mashinsky, the co-founder of Celsius Network, has admitted to charges of fraud related to his role in the company’s downfall.

DMM Bitcoin, a Japanese crypto exchange, is shutting down after failing to recover from a May hack that saw over $320 million in Bitcoin stolen.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has taken legal action against Touzi Capital and its CEO, Eng Taing, over allegations of a $115 million fraud scheme that deceived over 1,500 investors across the country.