All articles tagged with #crypto scam
The NYC Token, backed by former NYC Mayor Eric Adams, peaked near a $580 million market cap but collapsed to about $130 million after a suspected rug pull; blockchain analytics flagged suspicious activity and a deployer wallet withdrew roughly $2.5 million in liquidity at the peak, with some funds not returned.
The SEC has charged three purported crypto trading platforms and four investment clubs with defrauding retail investors of over $14 million through fake trading platforms, false offerings, and social media scams, involving misappropriation of funds and false claims of government licenses and AI-generated investment tips.
A Russian crypto entrepreneur, Roman Novak, and his wife were kidnapped, tortured, and murdered in Dubai, with their bodies dismembered and evidence erased. Novak, a convicted fraudster who fled with $500 million, was targeted possibly due to stolen investment funds. Three suspects have been arrested, and the case highlights the violent risks associated with crypto scams and criminal activities in Dubai.
Roman Novak, a crypto fraudster who fled with $500 million, and his wife Anna were kidnapped, allegedly held for ransom, and murdered in Dubai, with their bodies dismembered and buried in the desert; authorities suspect revenge and financial motives, and have identified multiple suspects.
Two top executives of MoonPay were victims of a $250,000 crypto scam involving over 40,000 USDT, with the scam originating from Nigeria. The incident highlights ongoing risks in the crypto industry, especially as MoonPay recently expanded its operations across all U.S. states and gained regulatory approval. The case underscores the increasing sophistication of crypto scams and the urgent need for stronger oversight in the digital asset space.
Ripple is applying for a US national bank charter to enhance trust and legitimacy in the crypto market, while Dogecoin shows signs of a potential rebound with a double-bottom pattern suggesting a rise to $0.25. Other news includes Standard Chartered's bullish Bitcoin forecast, FTX's legal actions, a Solana scam on GitHub, and arrests related to crypto fraud in the UAE.
The U.S. Department of Justice has seized $225.3 million in USDT linked to large-scale crypto investment scams involving a sophisticated money laundering network, marking the largest civil forfeiture of digital assets in U.S. history. Tether collaborated with authorities to combat fraud, and the seized funds will be used to compensate over 400 victims. The case highlights increasing crypto scams and efforts to improve compliance and security in digital assets.
Genesee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson warns the Michigan community about the "pig butchering" scam, a type of crypto scam where scammers build trust with victims through catfishing and convince them to join a financial investment scheme. Victims in the United States lost over $3 billion to this scam last year. Michigan-based life coach Simon Preslyn lost $35,000 to the scam, while others in Florida and Alabama lost $15,000 and $22 million, respectively. Officials advise the public to be cautious online and not to trust strangers promising too-good-to-be-true opportunities.
A 74-year-old businessman invested his entire life savings of $340,000 into cryptocurrency through a platform called SpireBit, which he found via an Instagram ad. However, he soon discovered that the site was completely fake and his money was being stolen. The company's supposed founder and executives were fake people with stock image profile photos on LinkedIn, and the company is not associated with any of the large crypto institutions it claims to work with. The UK's Financial Conduct Authority issued a public warning about SpireBit, which it called an unauthorized firm that uses other established companies to make it "appear as if it is regulated."
Home Improvement star Zachery Ty Bryan scammed several people into investing in a crypto company, owing them around $50,000. Bryan sold tokens privately despite Producers Market previously deciding not to go forward with such a sale. He even convinced a college student to transfer him $5,000. Bryan has also received several DUIs, admits to having an alcohol problem, and has been hit with a lawsuit by a man who claims Bryan failed to return a $60,000 investment he made in a film Bryan was producing.
Multiple YouTube channels under the Linus Media Group (LMG) brand, including the main Linus Tech Tip channel with over 15 million subscribers, were taken offline after being hijacked by crypto scammers who promoted bogus livestreams redirecting to cryptocurrency scams. The hackers also revealed several private videos on the channel. YouTube has seen an uptick in hackings from crypto scammers over the past year, and the company has yet to implement any features to mitigate the problem.