scams
Australia Records Over $14 Million Losses to Crypto Scams in 2019
Scamwatch, an Australian website dedicated to reporting scams saw an increase in crypto relating scams amounting to $14 million
Tackling DeFi Scams: Making Pre-sale Ecosystems Safer
Investors are aware that “rug pull” scams have negatively affected the reputation of the DEFI/DEX space in recent times. But liquidity protocols could be an effective solution.
Chainalysis Partners with Wyoming Watchdog to Fight Cybercrime and Crypto Laundering Scams
Chainalysis has announced partnered with Wyoming’s Division of Banking to fight cybercrime, crypto laundering, crypto scams, sanctions violations, and more.
Crypto Scams Took in More Than $30 Million in Taiwan in 2019
Blockchain and cryptocurrency investment scams have risen and have reached $900 million New Taiwan dollars ($30 million) in Taiwan last year, according to Gao Hongan, a political figure in the country.
Following Investigations in Brazil for Crypto Scams, Ronaldinho Faces Arrest for Using Fake Passport
Ronaldinho, the widely celebrated football player faces arrest for attempting to use fake passports to enter Paraguay after the scandal of his involvement in cryptocurrency scams.
New Darknet Markets Launch Despite Exit Scams as Demand Rises for Illicit Goods
Despite the recent amount of exit scams on dark web platforms, the darknet sector has seen increasing growth, with new marketplaces launching every year.
Decrypt: Most Whitepapers are Full of Scams
According to Decrypt’s Investigation published on 22 April, many startups had been accused by White paper writers to “constantly required to fabricate and exaggerate facts”.
U.S. Justice Department Seizes $9M in Crypto from Romance Scam Ring
The U.S. Justice Department successfully seizes $9M in crypto from a scam ring targeting over 70 victims, showcasing the government's commitment to combating cyber-enabled financial fraud.
Sushiswap Co-Founder 0xmaki Steps Down from Project Lead as DEX Exchange Begins New Chapter
Sushiswap Co-Founder 0xmaki has stepped down as project lead when the decentralized exchange struggles to navigate challenges of scams.
Hope Finance Scam Leaves Prospective DeFi Users Out of Pocket
Arbitrum-based algorithmic stablecoin startup Hope Finance loses $2 million to a smart contract attack.
3 Website Operators Lured Romance-Seeking Victims Into Their Fraud
Three website operators lured romance seekers with their bogus bitcoin investment scam.
NFT project was actually a "social experiment" designed to shed light
Little Shapes' creator said he lied about his past to promote his exposé.
Senator Warren Focuses on Crypto Scam Risks for Seniors, Advocates New Legislation
Senator Warren emphasized the Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act, gaining bipartisan support to regulate crypto activities and protect vulnerable populations from financial fraud.
US Senator Demands Answers from Twitter Over Massive Bitcoin Hack Incident
US senator Josh Hawley has urged Twitter to cooperate with fed agencies and take necessary measures to secure the social media site before the cyber hacking accounts of celebrities, politicians, technology moguls, and major firms in an apparent Bitcoin scam expands further.
Crypto Scams Have Swindled At Least $1B From Nearly 50,000 People Since 2021 - FTC
Despite crypto penetrating the masses from Bitcoin ATMs to Super Bowl ads, scams in this sector have been going through the roof because more than $1 billion has been lost since 2021, according to a study by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
XRP staking scam
A phoney staking scheme is targeting XRP investors. XRP staking websites and emails have been faked. The swindle promises 12%–27% profits.
OKLink Reveals $103M Blockchain Losses in February 2024
OKLink's February 2024 report details $103M in crypto losses, highlighting the critical need for heightened security measures.
Chainalysis Exposes Southeast Asia's Human Trafficking and Scam Nexus
Chainalysis reveals the intertwining of human trafficking with crypto scams in Southeast Asia, highlighting the urgency to combat these digital age crimes.
Crypto Scam Revenue Has Dropped by 65% in 2022: Chainalysis
Illicit crypto volumes have been diminishing year-over-year, with scams taking the lion’s drop share, according to a report by blockchain analytic firm Chainalysis.
Coinbase Rolls Out AI-Driven ERC-20 Scam Token Detection System
Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal unveils Coinbase's ERC-20 Scam Token Detection System, combining smart contract auditing with machine learning to tackle crypto scams. Disclosed on October 6, 2023, this initiative enhances security and trust in token listings on the platform.
AI's False Promises: CFTC Warns of Soaring Crypto Scams
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) alerts the public about the surge in AI-driven crypto scams, emphasizing the technology's inability to predict market trends and the dangers of misleading claims about high returns.
CertiK: Crypto Social Media Scams Surge
CertiK discusses the growing threat of crypto scams on social media, citing a FTC report revealing over $1 billion lost in the 18 months leading to June 2022, with nearly half coming from social media interactions. It suggests preventive measures like hardware wallets and smart contract security audits.
Kevin Rose, co-founder of Moonbirds, falls victim to phishing attack
Moonbirds co-founder Kevin Rose. He lost about $1.1 million in NFTs to a phishing fraud.
CBI and Liminal Collaborate for Digital Asset Security in India Amid Crypto Scams
The Central Bureau of Investigation of India is partnering with Singapore-based Liminal to secure digital assets seized during investigations amid rising cryptocurrency frauds in India.
Web3 Builders Reveals Suite of Tools to Combat DeFi exploits
Nicholas Horelik of Web3 Builders stated, “end users ought to have this functionality” to understand asset security.
Bitcoin of America indicted for operating unlicensed kiosks
Bitcoin of America, a Bitcoin technology firm, along with three of its executives, has been indicted for allegedly operating more than 50 unlicensed crypto kiosks in Ohio that knowingly benefited from victims of cryptocurrency scams. The firm is facing charges of money laundering, conspiracy, and other crimes connected to the operation of the kiosks, which authorities believe have been operating and evading regulatory safeguards and financial compliance requirements since 2018.
Hong Kong Suffers Surge in Crypto Scams in 2022
Hong Kong police reported a surge in crypto-related scams in 2022, with losses amounting to HK$1.7 billion ($216.6 million), up 106% from the previous year. The number of crypto-related scam cases reported in Hong Kong also surged by 67% from 2021. Such scams accounted for over 50% of the HK$3.2 billion ($407 million) stolen from city residents in technology crimes. The Hong Kong police CyberDefender website reported almost 23,000 cases of technology-related crimes in 2022. The use of cryptocurrency has made it more complicated for enforcement to track criminal funds, as fraudsters can hide their identities, transactions, and final destination.
Cryptocurrency Phishing Attacks Rise by 40% Year-on-Year in 2022
Kaspersky, a Russian cybersecurity and anti-virus provider, has reported a 40% year-on-year increase in cryptocurrency phishing attacks in 2022. The attacks involve reaching out to investors through fake websites and communication channels that mimic official companies, prompting users to share personal information such as private keys. Attackers are evolving their strategies to lure unwary crypto investors. Recently, hardware cryptocurrency wallet provider Trezor warned against attempts to steal users' crypto through fake Trezor sites. In a survey, one out of seven respondents admitted to being affected by cryptocurrency phishing.
KuCoin User Linked to Memecoin Scams
Crypto exchange KuCoin confirms a user's address is responsible for launching thousands of memecoin scams but will not freeze assets without official notice from law enforcement. The wallet address has been marked as a fake phishing wallet by blockchain explorer Etherscan.
FBI Warns Crypto Ecosystem Investors of DeFi Scams
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued a public warning to investors, especially those fond of the crypto ecosystem to be aware of scams specifically targeting the Decentralized Finance ecosystem
Scammers adapt to survive during crypto winter
While crypto scam revenue dropped by 46%, scammers adapted and shifted their strategies to prey on people's emotions, with romance and giveaway scams on the rise.
Australia's Government is Bolstering Its Market Regulator's Digital Asset
The new Australian government has devised a "multi-stage strategy" to combat cryptocurrency frauds, safeguard consumers, and increase enforcement.
Deepfake Dangers: Michael Saylor Alerts Followers to Emerging Bitcoin Scams
MicroStrategy Chairman Michael Saylor warns of deepfake scams on YouTube, using AI to mimic him promoting Bitcoin giveaways. He stresses the need for vigilance and verification to protect against these sophisticated frauds.
Crypto Hacks and Scams on the Rise
Over $103 million was lost to crypto exploits, scams, and hacks in April, with the total loss for the year reaching $429.7 million. Major hacks included Bitrue exchange and South Korean GDAC exchange, and flash loan attacks took around $20 million. Exit scams saw a loss of $9.4 million.
Binance Launches Joint Anti-Scam Campaign
Binance has launched a "Joint Anti-Scam Campaign" in Hong Kong in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies. The initiative involves issuing targeted alerts to potential victims of scams to prevent them from falling victim to fraudulent activity. Binance intends to expand the campaign to other jurisdictions.
FBI seizes $100,000 in cryptocurrency and NFTs
The FBI confiscated the property in October 2022 for violating "federal law," with the NFTs valued over $100,000.
MetaMask Warns Investors Against Phishing Attempts by Scammers
MetaMask informed customers that it never emails account data or collects KYC information.
Whale Alert Analysis: Scammers Have Bagged Bitcoin Worth $24 Million in the First Half of 2020
Leading blockchain tracking and analytics provider Whale Alert has revealed that scammers have been on a stealing spree as they have made away with $24 million in Bitcoin so far in 2020. Cumulatively, they have siphoned Bitcoin valued at $38 million over the last four years, and this excludes Ponzi schemes as they are a billion-dollar sector on their own.
Bitcoin Ransoms Doubled in 2019, New Report Warns Investors
Crypsis Group, a crypto forensics firm, noted in a recently released security report that crypto-ransoms, such as those involving Bitcoin, rose almost 200 percent for last year, compared to 2018.
BNB Chain Dominates Q1 2023 Rug Pull Scams
According to a report by blockchain security firm Immunefi, BNB Chain saw 73.3% of all rug pull scams in the crypto ecosystem during Q1 2023. The report also revealed that BNB Chain and Ethereum were the two largest targets for hackers and scammers, with 68.8% of total losses from these networks combined.
Hong Kong Government Alerts Public to AI-Generated Scams Featuring Deepfake of Chief Executive
The Hong Kong government warns against AI-generated scams, including a deepfake video of Chief Executive John Lee, urging public vigilance and caution.
YouTuber's Channel Hacked for XRP Scams
DidYouKnowGaming's YouTube channel was hacked to promote XRP scams, with the hacker changing the channel's profile and cover images to Ripple's logo. YouTube intervened quickly to prevent further damage, but the rise of deepfakes remains a threat to crypto investors.
Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX has acknowledged a recent spate of third party scams
FTX alerted consumers about fraudsters stealing account information with promises of asset returns.
Binance Co-Founder Yi He Champions Transparency and Security Amidst Crypto Evolution
Binance Co-Founder Yi He addresses the crypto community with vital announcements on enhancing listing transparency and security measures, showcasing Binance's proactive approach in combating scams and ensuring a trustworthy trading environment.
Australian Scammers Prefer Crypto than Credit Cards: Report
Australia's local media outlet disclosed a total loss of $84 million was reported to the ScamWatch website in 2021, a figure that is reasonably higher than the $27 million reported in 2020 and $19 million in 2019.
Dozens of AI-Powered Chatbot Tokens Found to Be Part of honeypot schemes
Blockchain security company PeckShield has warned about "dozens" of BingChatGPT pump-and-dump tokens.
Ripple (XRP) CTO responds to phishing scam concerns following Cory Doctorow's $8000 loss
Ripple's CTO David Schwartz emphasizes his cybersecurity savvy, responding to phishing scam concerns after Cory Doctorow's $8000 loss. Ripple educates on scam identification and prevention, amidst increasing social media-based crypto frauds.
Webaverse Co-Founder Reveals $4 Million Crypto Hack
Webaverse co-founder Ahad Shams sent a public statement about being hacked for $4 million in a hotel lobby.
Facebook Sues Bangkok 'LeadCloak' Software Developer Over Alleged Crypto Scams and Bogus COVID-19 Data
Facebook has sued a Bangkok software engineer whose firm offered software designed to bypass ad review systems and push deceptive ads to run on the media platform.
FBI Arrests 2 Hackers for Ransomware and “Crypto-Jacking” Scams, 5 Chinese Suspects Still at Large
The DoJ and the FBI seized two criminals connected to a cybercrime targeting over 100 companies in the US and abroad with ransomware, crypto jacking and more.
California Governor Gavin Newsom Warns Bitcoin Scams are Targeting Public In COVID-19 Market
In his official address, Gavin Newsom California governor cautioned the public against individuals asking for advance payment in Bitcoin with the promise of delivering essential commodities.
Ripple Files Lawsuit Against YouTube Over Cryptocurrency Investment Scam
Ripple crypto firm has hit YouTube with a lawsuit accusing the streaming platform of failing to take action against crypto scams that impersonate the cryptocurrency company.
Billionaire Chris Kirubi Warns Followers of Bitcoin Scammers Impersonating the Kenyan Tycoon
Dr. Chris Kirubi continues fighting against Bitcoin scams using his name as an endorsement.