Crypto Crime News

Chinese authorities recently dismantled a large money-laundering network in Beijing, uncovering approximately 800 million yuan ($111.36 million) in cryptocurrency transactions tied to telecom scams and online gambling.

Heather Morgan was shocked to learn that her husband, Ilya Lichtenstein, had hacked the crypto exchange Bitfinex in 2016.

In October, several high-profile crypto security breaches contributed to industry-wide losses totaling nearly $130 million.

According to blockchain investigator ZachXBT, who has been following the case closely, the breach was made possible by an exploit in the “seamless withdrawal system.”

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has brought wire fraud and market manipulation charges against Aleksei Andriunin, the founder and CEO of crypto market-making firm Gotbit.

A 16-year-old boy from East London has been charged with multiple terrorism offenses, including fundraising for Al Qaeda using cryptocurrency.

Nishad Singh, former engineering director of FTX, was sentenced to time served and three years of supervised release for misappropriating user funds and violating campaign finance laws.

The AI bot Truth Terminal has gained attention for its involvement in a memecoin scam that caused significant losses for its followers.

The U.S. government successfully reclaimed nearly $19.3 million in cryptocurrency within 24 hours after it was mysteriously drained from government-associated wallets.

Rumours started swirling around X (previously Twitter) about federal investigators probing the stablecoin issuer Tether.

Federal authorities are allegedly intensively investigating Tether for possible breaches of U.S. sanctions and anti-money laundering laws, according to sources familiar with the case.

A recent security breach on the Base blockchain has led to the theft of approximately $1 million due to vulnerabilities in unverified lending contracts.

Crypto security incidents remain a persistent challenge, with September alone seeing $120 million in losses from various hacks.

The hacker responsible for the recent breach at the decentralized finance platform Radiant Capital has shifted nearly all stolen funds from layer-2 networks to Ethereum, likely to hide their trail.

Five people have received prison sentences for their involvement in a cryptocurrency scam that defrauded investors of $21.6 million.

Alex Mashinsky, the former CEO of Celsius, will appear in a New York court on November 13.

Blockchain.com is facing legal action for failing to file its financial accounts on time.

A China-based trader, Yicong Wang, is accused of laundering tens of millions of dollars in stolen cryptocurrency for the notorious North Korean hacking group, Lazarus.

A Russian influencer, is facing a possible 10-year prison term for an alleged $22 million cryptocurrency fraud scheme.

The former CEO of Australian crypto exchange Mine Digital, Grant Colthup, has been charged with fraud for allegedly misappropriating $1.47 million from a customer trying to convert funds into Bitcoin.

Japanese law enforcement, including the National Police Agency and a collaborative task force from nine prefectural police departments, has apprehended 18 suspects linked to a scam involving Monero (XMR).

A crypto company has reported a significant data breach affecting more than 92,000 users.

Changpeng Zhao, Binance’s co-founder, has issued a stark warning to his 8.9 million followers on X regarding scammers using his name to defraud crypto users.

Radiant Capital, a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform, is collaborating with US law enforcement to recover assets following a $50 million theft earlier this week.

Security specialists have discovered a new variant of the TrickMo banking Trojan, which has compromised approximately 13,000 Android devices.

The cryptocurrency industry has faced its share of scams and cyberattacks, causing some potential investors to approach it with caution.

Montenegro has begun the extradition process for Terra Luna’s founder, Do Kwon, who faces charges in South Korea tied to the downfall of the Terra ecosystem, which caused massive financial losses.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested a 25-year-old man from Alabama, for hacking the official X account of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in January.

A recent report from the cybersecurity firm Hacken reveals that Radiant Capital, a multi-asset money market platform, has suffered an exploit resulting in losses exceeding $48 million.

Cosmos (ATOM) is at risk due to potentially harmful code inherited from North Korean hackers disguised as developers.

Ilya Lichtenstein, the architect behind the largest hack of the crypto exchange Bitfinex, is facing a recommendation of five years in prison from U.S. prosecutors, according to statements made in a Washington district court.

In a significant operation, the Delhi Police, with the assistance of Binance, have seized over 100,000 USDT connected to a fraudulent scheme in India.

Exchanges that bypass Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols pose several significant risks.

Authorities in Hong Kong have uncovered a fraud group that used “deepfake” technology to misuse $43 million worth of cryptocurrencies, resulting in 27 arrests.

A new scam has emerged, with the SlowMist security team alerting users about fraudulent arbitrage MEV robots.

According to CNBC, Horst Jiha, a German citizen who was under house arrest after being accused of running a $150 million cryptocurrency fraud scheme, has disappeared.

Binance founder Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao has issued a warning about the growing threat of AI-generated deepfake videos circulating online.

Security experts have reported a significant phishing attack that led to the loss of 15,079 Few Wrapped Duo ETH (fwDETH), valued at around $35 million.

Heather Morgan, also known as the rapper “Razzlekhan,” is facing an 18-month jail term as U.S. prosecutors pursue charges related to her involvement in laundering 120,000 BTC.

On October 10, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a lawsuit against Cumberland DRW, accusing the firm of operating as an unregistered dealer.

South Korean lawmakers have launched an investigation into Upbit, the nation’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, amid concerns about its monopolistic influence in the virtual asset market.

The FBI reportedly launched its own cryptocurrency, ‘NexFundAI Token,’ as part of a sting operation to expose and apprehend fraudulent actors in the crypto space.

U.S. prosecutors have unveiled charges against four crypto companies and 14 individuals in what they describe as the first criminal case addressing market manipulation and fraud in the digital currency space.

A recent ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia indicates that Bitfinex is likely the sole entity eligible for restitution concerning the 119,754 BTC that was stolen during the notorious 2016 hack.

Revolut, the digital banking app, reported blocking over $621 million in potentially fraudulent transactions involving both crypto and fiat currencies during 2023.

FTX has filed a motion to settle with Caroline Ellison, the former Alameda Research CEO, requiring her to relinquish nearly all her assets.

A former California attorney, 86-year-old David Kagel, has received a five-year probation sentence and a nearly $14 million restitution order after admitting to orchestrating a crypto Ponzi scheme.

Marat Tambiyev, the former chief investigator of Russia’s Investigative Committee, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison due to corruption charges.

A recent alert from a U.S. government agency highlights the growing threat of Trinity ransomware, notorious for demanding cryptocurrency payments from victims while threatening to disclose sensitive information.

On October 4, 2024, the U.S. government took legal steps to recover over $2.67 million in digital assets that were allegedly pilfered by North Korea’s Lazarus Group.

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has rejected 86% of Israeli military requests to freeze crypto wallets linked to Palestinians and others due to a lack of sufficient evidence.

Binance’s latest insights reveal a substantial drop in digital asset losses due to hacks in 2024, marking a notable shift in the industry’s security landscape.

LEGO’s website was hacked to promote a fake cryptocurrency, misleading users into purchasing scam tokens with Ethereum.

The scheme targeted working class individuals, promising them financial freedom.

Vietnamese police arrested five individuals tied to a cryptocurrency scam led by offshore criminals.

During the third quarter of 2024, cryptocurrency thefts surpassed $127 million, with September contributing around $46 million.

A Russian cybercrime group is reportedly leveraging a series of AI-generated websites to implement software aimed at stealing cryptocurrency wallet credentials.

A new report from the Crypto Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) reveals that cash is far more prevalent than cryptocurrency in illegal activities worldwide.

An acclaimed journalist recognized for exposing human trafficking and cryptocurrency scams in Cambodia has been detained by the country’s military police.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have seized $6.4 million in cryptocurrency linked to an international crime syndicate during Operation Kraken, resulting in the arrest of Jay Je Yoon Jung.