CryptoCrime

🔹 For the first time in history, the U.S. Secret Service has publicly disclosed details of its global effort to fight cryptocurrency scams. According to their findings, the agency has seized nearly $400 million in digital assets over the past decade, mainly from sophisticated fraud rings using fake investment platforms.
🔹 At the center of these operations is the Global Investigative Operations Center, which tracks digital crime using advanced software, domain tracing, and patient analysis – without weapons or badges. Chief analyst Jamie Lam explained at a recent Bermuda meeting:

"They’ll send you a picture of a young investor, but behind it may be an old man in Russia."

How These Crypto Scams Work
The schemes are calculated: they start by offering victims small profits to build trust, only to disappear once larger sums are invested.
“People think they’re safe using Bitcoin, but that’s simply not true,” warned agent Smith during a training session for officials in Bermuda.
He pointed out that victims often see what appears to be a golden opportunity and don’t realize they’re falling into a trap.

Support from Coinbase and Tether – Seniors Lose Billions
Crypto scams have now become a major part of online crime. According to the FBI, $9.3 billion of the $16.6 billion in reported U.S. internet crimes in 2024 involved crypto. The most impacted group were seniors, who lost $2.8 billion – mostly through fake investment websites.
Fortunately, there have been successful recoveries. In one case, the Secret Service worked with Coinbase and Tether to recover $225 million in USDT, marking one of the largest fund recoveries in crypto history.

Strong Technology Requires Strong Investigations
Bermuda Governor Andrew Murdoch stated:

“Technology is a powerful engine of economic growth, but it’s also highly vulnerable to abuse. We need strong investigative tools to match the sophistication of digital criminals.”

#CryptoScams , #CryptoFraud , #CryptoCrime , #CyberSecurity , #CryptoNewss

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Влада Об’єднаних Арабських Еміратів (ОАЕ) затримали засновника криптопроєкту WhiteRock за підозрою у шахрайстві на суму $30 млн, пов’язаному з платформою Zkasino. Затримання стало результатом міжнародного розслідування, яке звинувачує засновника у маніпуляціях із коштами інвесторів. За попередніми даними, проєкт обіцяв високі прибутки, але замість цього кошти були виведені, що призвело до значних збитків. Наразі триває процес екстрадиції до Нідерландів, де планується судовий розгляд.
Ситуація викликала резонанс у криптоспільноті, адже WhiteRock позиціонував себе як перспективний стартап у сфері DeFi. Експерти зазначають, що це черговий випадок, який підкреслює необхідність суворішого регулювання крипторинку. Після арешту токен $WHITE різко впав у ціні на 40%, що відображає втрату довіри інвесторів. Офіційні заяви від WhiteRock відсутні, а деталі схеми ще розслідуються.
Цей інцидент є частиною ширшої тенденції до посилення боротьби з фінансовими злочинами у криптосфері. Влада ОАЕ та інших країн дедалі активніше співпрацюють для викриття подібних афер. Інвесторам рекомендують ретельно перевіряти проєкти перед інвестуванням.
Стежте за новинами, щоб бути в курсі подій!
#Cryptoscam #whiterock #FraudAlert #CryptoCrime #UAEArrest #DeFiNews #MiningUpdates
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Typo in domain name leads to convincing phishing attack targeting US political circles

A Nigerian fraudster is accused of stealing $250,000 in cryptocurrency by impersonating a senior figure associated with Donald Trump's and J.D. Vance’s presidential inaugural committee, according to U.S. federal prosecutors.
The individual reportedly mimicked Steve Witkoff, co-chair of the Trump-Vance inaugural committee, and on December 24, 2024, sent a deceptive email from @t47lnaugural.com — subtly replacing the letter “i” in the real domain @t47inaugural.com with a lowercase “L”, which appears nearly identical in certain fonts.
Believing the email to be legitimate, the victim transferred 250,300 USDT.ETH, a dollar-pegged stablecoin on the Ethereum blockchain, to a crypto wallet controlled by the scammer just two days later. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the FBI was able to trace the blockchain activity and recover $40,300 of the stolen funds, which are now subject to civil forfeiture.

AI, politics, and phishing: A new landscape for crypto fraud
Tether, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin, helped authorities freeze the stolen funds — part of a broader trend of cooperation in fighting crypto fraud. Last month, the company also supported a $225 million seizure related to a massive “pig butchering” investment scam involving multiple federal agencies.
Security experts say this scam represents a modern twist on an old tactic: phishing, updated for the crypto age. Criminals now exploit political figures and real-world events to build trust and urgency, making their scams more believable.
“This is pure opportunism — exploiting public trust, political sentiment, and the irreversible nature of crypto transactions,” said one crypto exchange CEO.
Experts warn that as AI and deepfake technologies improve, phishing schemes will become faster, more convincing, and scalable. Preventing these scams will require coordination among regulators, tech companies, financial institutions, and the crypto industry.
Another analyst noted that phishing remains the oldest trick in the book — still fooling victims across crypto, e-commerce, and online banking. Rather than hacking systems, scammers manipulate human emotion, triggering fear, greed, or FOMO.
While many blame cryptocurrencies themselves, security professionals point to traditional tools — like fake URLs and spoofed domains — that remain the backbone of most fraud. In legacy systems like VoIP and domain infrastructure, where KYC is weak, scammers continue to exploit these gaps just as they have for decades.

#Cryptoscam , #CyberSecurity , #PhishingAlert , #CryptoCrime , #CryptoNews

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,,The information and views presented in this article are intended solely for educational purposes and should not be taken as investment advice in any situation. The content of these pages should not be regarded as financial, investment, or any other form of advice. We caution that investing in cryptocurrencies can be risky and may lead to financial losses.“

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has intensified its fight against cybercrime, this time targeting the infrastructure itself — specifically Russian hosting provider Aeza Group, which is accused of offering safe haven services to ransomware operators and other criminal actors. Along with the company, cryptocurrency addresses linked to illegal activities have also been sanctioned.

Bulletproof Hosting Services Under Scrutiny
On July 1st, the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Aeza Group LLC, a Russian hosting provider known for its "bulletproof" services. These allegedly enabled cybercriminals to carry out large-scale ransomware attacks, data theft, and other malicious operations with high operational security.
⚙️ The sanctions also extend to Aeza International Ltd. in the United Kingdom and other affiliated entities, reflecting the international scope of the firm’s operations.
This action is part of a broader strategic shift: OFAC is targeting the infrastructure behind cybercrime, not just individual hackers. The move follows similar sanctions imposed on ZServers in February.

TRON Wallet Identified, Over $350K in Crypto Tracked
OFAC also named a specific TRON blockchain address tied to Aeza Group’s payment infrastructure. The wallet:

🔹 received funds via intermediaries

🔹 routed money to exchanges

🔹 also collected direct payments for hosting services
According to Chainalysis, over $350,000 in crypto has flowed through the address, with connections to darknet sellers of malware like infostealers — tools that hijack devices and steal user credentials.

Attacking the Supply Chain, Not Just the Hackers
This move signals a strategic evolution: rather than chasing cybercriminals after attacks occur, authorities are now undermining the support networks that keep them operational.
Aeza’s services were resilient to takedowns and law enforcement action, making them ideal for criminals who need persistent, anonymous infrastructure.
🎯 The objective is to disrupt the digital backbone enabling ransomware operations, data breaches, and other cyber threats — and make it harder for criminal networks to stay online.

What's Next in the Fight Against Cybercrime
The U.S. government has made it clear it will go after not only threat actors but also the ecosystem that empowers them. The sanctions on Aeza Group are another major step in a larger campaign to dismantle cybercriminal infrastructure at its root.

#CyberSecurity , #CryptoCrime , #CryptoSecurity , #CryptoNews , #StaySafe

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,,The information and views presented in this article are intended solely for educational purposes and should not be taken as investment advice in any situation. The content of these pages should not be regarded as financial, investment, or any other form of advice. We caution that investing in cryptocurrencies can be risky and may lead to financial losses.“

Cybercriminals are off to a strong start in 2025. In just the first half of the year, 290 security incidents resulted in the loss of nearly $2.5 billion in crypto assets – already surpassing the total losses recorded in all of 2024, according to a new report from CertiK.

🔓 Wallet Breaches and Phishing Attacks Lead the Damage
The largest losses came from direct attacks on users: $1.7 billion was stolen in just 34 wallet breach incidents. Phishing campaigns followed, draining more than $410 million across 132 attacks. Rounding out the top three were code vulnerabilities, responsible for over $283 million in losses from 114 cases.
Though less frequent, exit scams and price manipulation still caused nearly $20 million in damage. Another $42 million was lost due to compromised access controls.

📉 First-Half Losses Surpass All of 2024
Total losses for the first six months of 2025 have already exceeded the $2.42 billion recorded in all of 2024. After subtracting recovered and frozen funds, net losses stand at $2.29 billion, up from $1.98 billion in adjusted losses last year.
A staggering 72% of this year’s losses stem from just two major incidents – a large-scale attack on Bybit in Q1 and the exploitation of the Cetus protocol in Q2. Without these two, the half-year losses would amount to a more modest $690 million.

📊 Quarterly Breakdown: When and How the Money Disappeared
🔹 Q1 2025 – Losses totaled $1.67 billion, heavily influenced by the Bybit breach

🔹 Q2 2025 – Attacks slowed, but still caused $801 million in damage
Phishing emerged as the dominant threat vector in Q2, causing $395 million in damage from 52 attacks. Next were code vulnerabilities ($235.7 million) and access control weaknesses ($36.1 million). Wallet compromises, the main threat in Q1, caused an additional $112 million in Q2 from just 9 incidents.

⚠️ Most Notable Hacks of the Year So Far
In addition to the Bybit and Cetus breaches ($225.6 million), other high-impact events included:
🔹 Nobitex (Iran) – Losses of $89.1 million

🔹 ALEX Lab – Breach worth $16.1 million

🔹 Further issues with Bitopro, Cork Protocol, KiloEx, and zkSync, mostly due to smart contract bugs, compromised infrastructure, or stolen wallet credentials

🧠 Ethereum Targeted Most, Bitcoin Second
Ethereum was the top target, suffering over $1.58 billion in losses across 164 incidents. Bitcoin followed with $373 million lost from just 10 cases.

🔄 What Got Recovered?
So far, $187 million has been returned to victims – $180 million of that during Q2 alone. Even after subtracting the recovered funds, the first-half losses of 2025 still represent an all-time high.

🧩 Another Analysis Supports the Trend
A separate mid-year report from TRM Labs estimated $2.1 billion in losses across 75 incidents, primarily due to private key thefts, front-end hijacks, and other infrastructure breaches. While figures may vary slightly, the message is clear – crypto security threats are escalating rapidly in 2025.

#CryptoSecurity , #CryptoScamAlert , #CyberSecurity , #CryptoCrime , #CryptoFraud

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A shocking robbery unfolded in broad daylight in a Bangkok shopping mall parking lot. According to a Monday report by Khaosod, five armed assailants targeted three cryptocurrency traders who had arranged an in-person meeting to exchange cash for digital assets.

🔹 Transaction Turns into a Nightmare
The victims came prepared with 3.4 million baht in cash (approximately $100,000) intending to swap it for cryptocurrency. Instead of completing the transaction, they were ambushed. The attackers, wielding guns and knives, approached the trio just as the deal was about to take place.
They seized the bag full of cash and fled the scene in a gray Honda Civic. Police are currently working to identify and track down the suspects.

🔹 Growing Threat: Physical Attacks on Crypto Holders in 2025
This incident is further evidence that 2025 may become one of the most dangerous years yet for crypto holders — not just online, but in the real world. Reports show a rising number of physical attacks on crypto investors around the globe.
In May, masked men in Paris attempted to kidnap the daughter and grandson of a French crypto executive. Earlier this year, David Balland, co-founder of the hardware wallet company Ledger, was abducted in central France before being rescued by authorities.

🔹 A Clear Warning to the Crypto Community
While peer-to-peer crypto deals and in-person exchanges are becoming more common, this violent event in Bangkok underscores just how risky these meetings can be. Many investors continue to underestimate the danger of physical confrontations — especially in countries where large, off-exchange deals are still widespread.

🔻 The crypto world may be heading toward a digital future, but old threats like physical violence are still very much part of the journey.

#CryptoCrime , #CryptoSecurity , #CryptoRisks , #StaySafe , #CryptoNews

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,,The information and views presented in this article are intended solely for educational purposes and should not be taken as investment advice in any situation. The content of these pages should not be regarded as financial, investment, or any other form of advice. We caution that investing in cryptocurrencies can be risky and may lead to financial losses.“

The U.S. Department of Justice has uncovered a large-scale cyber fraud operation orchestrated by four North Korean nationals. Posing as freelance IT developers, they infiltrated crypto startups and stole nearly $1 million. One of their targets was a blockchain startup based in Atlanta, which lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
🔹 These fake developers initially operated out of the United Arab Emirates and later infiltrated American and Serbian crypto companies. Once they had earned the companies' trust, they struck twice in 2022 — stealing $175,000 and $740,000. The funds were then laundered through mixers, exchanges, and fake IDs.
🔹 This kind of cyberattack is becoming increasingly common. North Koreans are frequently hired under false identities, using forged resumes and anonymous profiles. They exploit the remote work culture in the crypto world, where firms often prioritize cheaper labor over verified professionals.

When Fake Developers Become Part of Your Team
Security experts warn that this is not an isolated incident. This pattern is becoming a standard operating procedure: identity masking, gradually gaining access, infiltrating security protocols, and ultimately stealing funds. Many of these "employees" also send part of their salaries back to the North Korean regime.
The entire scheme exposes a vulnerability in the crypto hiring culture. A lack of in-person interactions and the pursuit of lower costs allow sophisticated state-sponsored cyber operations to flourish.

Raids and Seizure of Laptop Farms
The Department of Justice also conducted coordinated raids in 16 U.S. states. Authorities seized:
🔹 29 financial accounts

🔹 21 fraudulent websites

🔹 Approximately 200 computers from so-called "laptop farms"
These farms served as remote access points that allowed hackers to modify smart contracts and drain crypto funds from within the companies — all while appearing to work from U.S. locations.

What Does This Mean?
Crypto companies must take their hiring processes seriously. Thorough vetting and secured access to sensitive systems are critical. The threat of state-sponsored cyber infiltration is no longer theoretical — it’s real.

#northkorea , #CyberSecurity , #Cryptoscam , #CryptoCrime , #CryptoNews

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U.S. authorities have taken a hard stance against crypto fraud. On June 27, 57-year-old Dwayne Golden was sentenced to 97 months in prison by a federal court in Brooklyn for his role in a cryptocurrency investment scheme that defrauded investors of over $40 million. Disguised as legitimate digital asset companies, the scheme operated as a classic Ponzi operation.

🔍 Three Fake Firms and Hundreds of Victims
Golden, together with Gregory Aggesen, Marquis Egerton (also known as “Mardy Eger”), and William White, created and operated three fraudulent crypto companies: EmpowerCoin, ECoinPlus, and Jet-Coin. These firms promised guaranteed returns through overseas cryptocurrency trading. In reality, they funneled funds from new investors to pay off earlier ones or to enrich themselves.
The scheme ran from April to August 2017, and the platforms were abruptly shut down, leaving investors with significant losses while the operators vanished with the funds.

🧾 Obstructing Justice and False Testimonies
In addition to the fraud, the group actively obstructed federal investigations. They destroyed evidence and provided false statements to authorities. Between 2017 and 2022, Golden, Aggesen, and White conspired to derail investigations by the Federal Trade Commission and a federal grand jury. White, acting on behalf of Aggesen, gave misleading statements to authorities in response to official subpoenas.
Golden has also been ordered to forfeit $2.46 million in assets, with restitution to victims to be determined at a later date. Co-defendant William White received a 30-month prison sentence. Aggesen and Egerton are still awaiting sentencing.

🧑‍⚖️ Victims Urged to Seek Restitution
The FBI is calling on affected investors to submit restitution claims through official channels as part of the ongoing federal recovery process.

⚖️ DOJ Cracks Down on Crypto Crime
Golden’s sentencing is one of many aggressive actions taken by the U.S. Department of Justice in recent weeks to tackle crypto-related crime. Earlier this June, the DOJ seized over $225 million in crypto assets linked to pig butchering scams.
In a separate case, the DOJ sought the forfeiture of $7.7 million in crypto tied to North Korean operatives. Just days later, it charged a Russian national for running a $500 million money laundering scheme using crypto payment services.
U.S. officials have signaled that aggressive enforcement will continue as crypto-related financial crime is on the rise. The DOJ and FBI reaffirm their commitment to dismantling fraudulent operations and returning stolen assets to victims through international collaboration and advanced blockchain tracking techniques.

#Cryptoscam , #CryptoFraud , #CryptoCrime , #cryptocurrency , #CryptoAlert

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Notice:
,,The information and views presented in this article are intended solely for educational purposes and should not be taken as investment advice in any situation. The content of these pages should not be regarded as financial, investment, or any other form of advice. We caution that investing in cryptocurrencies can be risky and may lead to financial losses.“