Cybercrime
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.
Europol Cybercrime Report Identifies Monero, Zcash, Dash and Privacy Wallets as Emerging ‘Top Threats’
Europol assessed the new developments in cybercrime in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and identified certain cryptocurrency wallets as top threats.
IRS Hoping to Deanonymize Monero and ZCash Privacy Coins to Prevent Cybercrime
The Criminal Investigation Division(CID) of the IRS are actively hiring private contractors to study and analyze privacy coins, as there has quite been a lot of fraudulent activities revolving around their usage.
Spike in COVID-19 Cybercrime Is Stimulating Mass Adoption of Blockchain in Asia
With COVID-19 forcing businesses to adopt digital means of transacting, there is a spike in blockchain adoption, Bitcoin price surge, rise in Bitcoin scams.
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.
Traditional Financial Giant Lloyd's of London Introduces Cryptocurrency Insurance for Hot Wallets
Insurance giant Lloyd’s has launched a new insurance product to protect digital asset holders against the rising threat of cybercrime in the crypto market.
$3.6B Worth Bitcoins Scam, Founders of South African Crypto Exchange Africrypt Are Missing
The total value of $3.6 billion Bitcoins disappeared while the founders of South African cryptocurrency exchange AfriCrypt are missing.
Silk Road Programmer Pleads Guilty for Covering Up His Darknet Involvement to FBI and IRS
Silk Road computer programmer Michael R. Weigand pleaded guilty for providing false statements regarding his involvement with the darknet marketplace.
Ransomware Gang Evil Corp Group Strikes Again with New Ransomware WastedLocker
A ransomware gang called Evil Corp Group is back in action again, after having been in retirement for an undetermined period of time. The malware hacker group strikes again by developing a ransom software dubbed WastedLocker.
Hackers Steal Cryptos from General Bytes Bitcoin ATM via Zero-day Bug
Crypto ATM manufacturer General Bytes has confirmed that its infrastructures have been hacked using a zero-day vulnerability in server ports to steal cryptocurrencies from customers.
Microsoft Takes Down COVID-19 Cyber Criminals to Eliminate "Business Email Compromise" Attacks
Scammers have been taking advantage of COVID-19 and the worldwide economic crisis revolving around it to retrieve personal information and phish data from Microsoft users.
Uber’s Former Security Chief Charged for Using $100K Bitcoin Hush Payment to Hide Data Breach
Former Chief Security Officer at Uber, Joseph Sullivan, has been charged with allegedly paying $100K in Bitcoin to hackers to cover up a company data breach.
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.
Hong Kong Customs Arrests Four Men in Alleged $155M Crypto Laundering
Hong Kong Customs announced Thursday that the authority had dismantled a local cryptocurrency money-laundering syndicate involving HK$1.2 billion ($US 155 million). The operation is considered the first case for the same kind in the city.
Cybersecurity Firm Kaspersky Warns of New Ransomware Devised by Notorious North Korean Ransomware Group
Multinational cybersecurity provider Kaspersky has announced that the notorious North Korean crypto criminal group, Lazarus, is planning on releasing a new ransomware.
FTX Officials Says the Exchange Has Been Compromised by Hackers
Despite being the most embattled exchange, FTX has suffered a multi-million cyberattack
Man Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Bitcoin from Silk Road
James Zhong, who stole more than 51,680 Bitcoin from Silk Road in 2012, has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison for wire fraud charges. The Bitcoin was worth roughly $3.4 billion at the time of its seizure in November 2021.
CipherTrace Life Hack for Criminal Investigations: How to Know if Cryptocurrency Was Utilized
CipherTrace blockchain analytics firm has revealed guidelines that could help law enforcement identify that cryptocurrency was used for illicit activities.
DoJ Charges BitClub Promoter for Role in $722 Million Crypto Fraud Scheme
A Californian man pleaded guilty for his involvement in perpetrating BitClub Network, a cryptocurrency mining scheme that generated at least $722 million.
Finland Tracks Monero in High-Profile Cybercrime Cas
Finnish authorities traced Monero transactions in the Julius Aleksanteri Kivimäki trial, highlighting challenges in tracking privacy-focused digital currencies, a significant development in cryptocurrency-related cybercrime investigations.
OpenSea Confirms Under Phishing Attack, after Urging Users to Migrate NFTs New Addresses
Some of the users from OpenSea have been targeted explicitly through a phishing attack, resulting in NFTs lost from the NFT marketplace.
US Seizes $24M in Cryptocurrencies Tied to Brazilian Investment Fraud Probe
The US Department of Justice has seized $24 million in cryptocurrencies following investigations linked to online investment fraud.
Ransomware Masterminds Arrested in Ukraine in Joint Investigative Operation
A joint strike action between Europol and other international crime enforcement agencies has led to the arrest of two ransomware gang members.
Eastern Europe Hotbed For Darknet As Ransomware Activity Increases
A recent study from Chainalysis has found that darknet operators are responsible for a disproportionately large share of the crypto market in Eastern Europe.
Naoris Protocol Secures $11.5 m Funding, Enhancing Web3 Networks Security
Cybersecurity protocol Naoris raised the funding with $11.5 million, which it mentions will enable it to revamp network security for the Web3 world.
Beanstalk Stablecoin Protocol Suffers $80M Loss in Hacking
An emerging Ethereum stablecoin protocol, Beanstalk has come off as the latest blockchain startup that suffered a breach from hackers with a massive loss of $80 million moved from the protocol.
Illicit Transaction Activity Hit All-time High in Value in 2021: Chainalysis
The latest report suggests cryptocurrency-based crime hit a new all-time high in 2021, with illicit addresses receiving $14 billion in 2021, which amount was doubled to 2020, according to Chainalysis.
Cream Finance Promise to Refund Stolen Funds in its $462M Protocol Exploit
Cream Finance has plans to refund victims of its latest network attack.
US Intelligence Reveals Extent of North Korea’s “Hidden Cobra” Crypto-Dependent Cyber Crimes
US Intelligence Reveals Extent of North Korea’s “Hidden Cobra” Crypto-Dependent Cyber Crimes
Twitter Massive Hack Attack Traced Back to Crypto Wallet Using BitPay and Coinbase
In the massive Bitcoin scheme that happened earlier this week, reputed coin exchanges such as Binance, Gemini, and Coinbase were targeted by crypto scammers, and officials have been hard at work investigating the digital trail that may lead back to the crypto scammers.
Binance Contributes to Recovery and Return of $10,000 of Stolen Crypto To a Targeted Investor
Binance affiliate crypto security expert Harry Denley helped a victim recover $10, 000 worth of lost cryptocurrency recently.
Dark Web Sucks in Bitcoin Payments From Viewers Paying to See Livestream Murder
Two 17-year-old Italians have been detained under the Delirium operation for instigating child pornography and live torture viewings on the dark web. The two Italians paid Bitcoin (BTC) to a dark site address in order to unlock explicit footage of children being sexually abused.
Russian Hacker Sentenced to 5 years of Prison for Money Laundering, Cybercrimes, and Extortion
Russian Hacker Alexander Vinnik has been sentenced to 5 years imprisonment by a Parisian court. The judgment may be appealed as noted by Vinnik's lawyer.
Binance Collaborates with Royal Thai Police to Disrupt Criminal Networks
Binance, in conjunction with the Royal Thai Police, has successfully disrupted major crypto fraudulent networks in Thailand through two significant operations. The collaboration led to the arrest of key individuals and substantial asset seizures, underscoring Binance's proactive stance against cybercrime and its ongoing commitment to enhancing security within the digital asset ecosystem.
Ransomware Group Demands $4M in Bitcoin from Argentina, Border Activity Halted for 4 Hours
A Bitcoin ransomware attack was directed towards Argentina’s immigration agency, halting border crossing temporarily.
At Least $150M Stolen by Hackers: BitMart CEO Confirms; While Security Firm Estimates More
BitMart experienced a large-scale security breach in which hackers were able to withdraw assets valued at up to approximately $150m, according to the cryptocurrency trading platform's CEO.
US Treasury Department Believed to be Hacked by Russians, Bitcoin Bulls Respond “BTC Never Gets Hacked”
The US Treasury Department has been on the receiving line of a huge security breach that saw their internal servers targeted.
Ransomware Group Strikes Again: Canon Takes a Hit
Canon recently suffered a cyber attack where approximately 10 terabytes of files, photos and data were stolen.
Jack Daniel’s Parent Company Brown-Forman Targeted for Ransomware by Notorious REvil
Brown-Forman, Jack Daniel’s parent company and a giant powerhouse in the alcoholic industry, recently suffered a ransomware data breach originating from REvil.
Tether Implements Wallet-Freezing Policy Aligned with US Regulations
Tether's wallet-freezing policy, in line with US OFAC regulations, is a proactive approach to cybercrime, setting a new standard in the crypto industry.
Ripple Impersonated by Scammers in a Fraudulent “XRP Incentive Plan” Token Giveaway
Cryptocurrency scammers have been capitalizing on Ripple’s success by rolling out a new XRP giveaway initiative that proved to be fraudulent.
About 6,000 Users Falls Trap as Victims under Phishing Attack: Coinbase
The Nasdaq-listed trading platform, Coinbase, says about 6,000 of its users were suffering as victims of a phishing attack that saw user's balances cleared.
Hackers Hungry for Bitcoin and Ether Target Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Bitcoin and cryptocurrency hackers seized the social media account of India Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, in an effort to secure Bitcoin and Ether funds.
Chinese Crypto Investors Orchestrated Digital Heist to Recuperate Lost Crypto
China-based crypto investors launched a cryptocurrency scam of their own, after having been defrauded themselves.
Darknet AlphaBay Moderator Paid in Bitcoin Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison
A darknet moderator for marketplace AlphaBay has been apprehended by law officials and sentenced to 11 years in prison.
G7 Bank Sector Higher Money Laundering Risk than Crypto Industry, Reports Mexico Financial Intelligence
According to a report released by the Financial Intelligence Unit of Mexico, the G7 banking sector was most at risk of money laundering operations.
World Economic Forum Warns Leaders to Brace for Long-Lasting Global Recession as Cybercrimes Surge
The World Economic Forum (WEF) suggested that leaders around the world need to do more to ensure a quicker and more sustainable recovery for the global economy caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Amongst the 350 top risk professionals in the world surveyed, these risk managers expect a prolonged global recession, as a number of areas of concern were identified in the report compiled by the Forum’s Global Risks Advisory Board, Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc, and Zurich Insurance Group.
Twitter Bitcoin Hack Demonstrates That Crypto Fraud is Easier to Track Than Fiat
Cryptocurrency regulation was the hot topic during an ongoing panel hosted by the Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists.
US Government Creates Cyber Fraud Task Force to Put an End to Crypto Crime
The US Secret Service is hoping to put an end to the increasing money-laundering cases that have erupted with the rise of COVID-19, by creating a special division, dubbed the Cyber Fraud Task Force (CFTF).
Deribit Exchange's Hot Wallet Hacked for $28M
Deribit exchange has revealed it has been hacked for $28 million
TOR Network Vulnerability May Have Facilitated Dark Web Bitcoin Theft
According to a cybersecurity researcher, Bitcoin thieves and hackers have controlled more exit relays on the Tor network this year than in the past five, raising serious cybersecurity concerns that experts are looking to fix.
New York Man Charged with Defrauding Investors $4.5 Million in Cryptocurrency Investment Scheme
A New York man has been charged in US federal court with defrauding investors out of millions of dollars in crypto assets that he used on offshore gambling sites. A criminal complaint was filed on July 9, and the US Attorney’s Office charged Douglas Jae Woo Kim, 27 years old, with wire fraud in which he allegedly conned three investors out of over $4.5 million of Ethereum and Bitcoin.
JBS Paid Hackers $11M Worth of Bitcoin to Set Free From Hacker Attack
JBS's CEO Andre Nogueira revealed the company had paid hackers $11 million worth of Bitcoin ransom to set free. Nogueira insisted that is the right decision.
DeFi Protocol Wintermute Suffers $160M of Hack: CEO
Cryptocurrency market maker and Decentralized Finance (DeFi) lending protocol Wintermute has been hacked with over $160 million lost.
Russian Cybercriminals Sanctioned by DoJ for Crypto Laundering Scam Generating More than $16.8M
TheDoJ has sanctioned two Russian nationals for their cybercrimes, where millions in cryptocurrency were accumulated through scamming and phishing schemes.
Bitcoin Sex Scam Claims Another Victim and Generates $115,000 BTC
Recently, a Bitcoin sex scam that has been running since 2015 accumulated fraudulent funds of approximately $115,000 before being detected.
Binance Becomes First Exchange to Join Cybercrime Fighting Alliance
Binance cryptocurrency exchange has joined the National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA), becoming the first digital currency trading platform to make such a move.
Member of Dark Overlord Crypto Hacking Group Pleads Guilty to Ransom Attacks
UK national Nathan Wyatt was found guilty of multiple charges this week after extracting personal information from victims while demanding a Bitcoin ransom.
Ransomware Attacks Target English Football League, Data Withheld for $3.8 Million Bitcoin
UK government report reveals cybercriminals are targeting English Football Clubs with ransomware attacks.
Russian National Extradited to the U.S. to Face Crypto Money Laundering Charges
Alexander Vinnik, a Russian national accused of running an illegal crypto exchange BTC-e was extradited to the United States to face fraud charges.
Cardano Addresses Fake ADA Giveaway Claims on YouTube
Cardano CEO Charles Hoskinson has once again come forward to address the issue of cryptocurrency scams targeting his ADA empire and has been quick to refute any associations phishers made with the Cardano Foundation.
Bitcoins Used in Facebook Scheme to Scam Suicidal Victims Into Buying Drugs
A cybercriminal ring operation has been inciting Facebook users to employ Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, in exchange for drugs. This investigative report from the UK depicts the strategic techniques used to track down the unknown villains operating behind this devious scheme.
US Files Lawsuit to Recover Cryptocurrency Accounts Linked to North Korean Hacking Operation
The US Department of Justice has filed a suit against North Korean state-sponsored cyber hackers for allegedly perpetrating two major cryptocurrency heists.
Hackers Demand Bitcoin Ransom in Exchange for Unlocking Maltese Instagram User Accounts
Instagram users from Malta were reportedly attacked by hackers. Criminals are requesting that users of the locked accounts pay in Bitcoin to regain access to their accounts.
DEA Special Agent O’Kain: Regulated Bitcoin Exchanges Are Good For Law Enforcement
DEA Special Agent Patrick O’Kain spoke at the LA Blockchain Summit on Bitcoin on the role of government agencies in policing the digital asset and blockchain space.
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.
Individual Crypto Hacks Done by Using Malware from Darknet: Chainalysis
Over the last few years, hackers have been actively stealing smaller amounts of cryptocurrency from individual users using malware available on the internet or darknet, Chainalysis reported.
Lazarus-Linked Blender.io Added to US Treasury's Sanction List
Bitcoin and cryptocurrency mixing service, Blender.io has been added to the sanctions list by the United States Treasury Department.
$12M in Bitcoin Stolen from pNetwork DeFi Protocol
A vulnerability in pNetwork allowed the thief to run away with the funds. The DeFi network is now begging the hacker to return the money.
400 Crypto.com Accounts Hacked, CEO Confirms Reimbursement for all Victims
According to a Bloomberg interview, Kris Marszalek, CEO of Crypto wallet provider and trading platform Crypto.com, said he would be more than willing to share information about Tuesday's hack if the regulator has any relevant inquiries.
Crypto Crime in London Now Goes Physical as Thieves Targets Investor's Gadgets
There is a new wave of crime in the city of London that is targeting investors in the digital currency ecosystem
Ransomware Attack Directed Towards University of California Generated 118 Bitcoin
The University of California, San Francisco’s plans to further COVID-19 vaccine research were disrupted by a ransomware attack on the school’s servers.
BlockSec Shares Alerts of ETHPoW Tokens Persistent Attack
According to an alert shared by blockchain security firm, BlockSec, the ETHW protocol suffered a replay attack with the hacker carting away 200 ETHW tokens.
University of Utah Paid Out $450k to Ransomware Gang to Prevent Student Data Leak
The University of Utah paid a hefty sum of $457,059.24 to a ransomware gang to prevent compromised student data from being leaked online.
Deribit Hackers Turns to Tornado Cash to Launder Stolen Funds
The hacker(s) who exploited Deribit Exchange have started laundering the stolen cash through Tornado Cash
Blockchain Security Firm Halborn Secures $90m in Series A Funding
Blockchain security firm Halborn has secured $90 million in Series A funding. However, the valuation of the Miami-based company has not been disclosed.
Darknet Marketplace Empire Alleged to Have Exit Scammed with $30 Million Worth of Bitcoin
Darknet digital marketplace Empire Market appears to have exit scammed and made off with a hefty profit of 2,638 Bitcoin (BTC).
Australians Lost Over $70M to Scam Crypto Investments in H1 2021
Australians continue to suffer from online scams. More than half of the $70 million in losses were to cryptocurrency, especially through Bitcoin, a study says.
Robinhood Compromised as Dark Web Hackers Allegedly Hold More Than 10K Login Keys
More than 10,000 Robinhood trading accounts have allegedly been hacked, and despite customer complaints, it appears as though the firm has been slow to act.
Chinese Police Seize $14M in Crypto from Scammers Posing as Huobi Officials
The Chinese police arrested a crypto scammer gang in Wenzhou that reportedly swindled $14.3M in cryptocurrencies.
US National Lab Computer Scientists Deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Thwart Illegal Crypto Mining
Los Alamos National Laboratory has created an artificial intelligence (AI) system capable of identifying malicious codes that mine cryptos such as Bitcoin.
Nomad Lost Nearly $190m TVL in "Decentralized Robbery"
Cross-chain token bridge Nomad was breached on Monday, which resulted in a loss of cryptocurrency worth almost $200 million in terms of Total Value Locked (TVL).
Darknet Empire Offline for Days Has Users Fearing DDoS Attack and Looming Scam
A popular darknet marketplace, Empire Market, has been reported to be offline for over 48 hours, making website users fretful as to the cause behind it.
Teenage Twitter Hacker Could Use Bitcoin to Post $725,000 Bail
The mastermind behind Twitter’s recent massive hack attack has finally been arrested after a nationwide investigation by the FBI, and bail for him has been set at $725,000.
BAYC says Discord Server was "Compromised"
Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) announced through Twitter that its Discord server was hacked.
Hong Kong Police Crackdowns Crypto Investment Scam, involving $11M HKD
Hong Kong police announced Friday the authority has dismantled a cryptocurrency investment scam involving as much as 60 million Hong Kong dollars. At least 19 people are under arrest.
French Finance Minister Praises Blockchain, but Condemns Cryptocurrency
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire has once again made his stance on crypto clear – he is critical of it and does not support it.
Man Who Pays Hitman in Bitcoin to Kill His Wife Gets Traced Back to Coinbase Account
A Tennessee man allegedly used Bitcoin to pay a hitman he found on a murder-for-hire website to kill his wife.
Teenage Bitcoin Scammer Behind 2020 Massive Twitter Hack Gets Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison
Graham Ivan Clark, a Florida teenager, will serve three years of probation after receiving a jail term of three years in prison.
Feds Suspect US Unemployment Systems Attacked by Fraudsters, Leading to Losses in the Hundreds of Millions of Dollars
According to federal authorities in the US, a group of international cybercriminals has been reportedly attacking the US unemployment systems, funneling millions of dollars in payments that were intended to support the detrimental effects the coronavirus pandemic had on the economy. With the number of infections in the US growing at an appalling rate, so far 1.5 million American citizens have been infected, with over 90,000 related deaths. The unemployment crisis in the country has surpassed the rate since the Great Depression, as the official US unemployment rate is at its highest in recorded history, at an alarming 14.7 percent. The New York Times obtained a memo from the US Secret Service, indicating that the fraud scheme was coming from a “well-organized Nigerian fraud ring,” and could result in the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in the American financial system.
Blockchain Ecosystem Suffers Over $9.8B Worth Security Lost in 2021
According to Snowmist, the blockchain industry has been well characterized by cryptocurrency crimes, money laundering, fraud, cases of theft, drug trafficking, and mining crimes all of which occur frequently.
Netflix to Release Documentary on 2016 Bitfinex Hack
Netflix Inc has announced it is going to release a documentary about the 2016 Bitfinex hack, a financial crime that can earn the tag as one of the biggest financial thefts in history.
$3.5M of Stolen Crypto Linked to KuCoin Hack Moved
On-chain data analytics have reported that KuCoin hackers have been on the move lately, as a total of $3.5 million of stolen funds were transferred.
US Army Reveals That North Korea Has A Legion of 6,000 Hackers Working for the Nation
In a tactical report, the US Army unveiled that North Korea possessed government-based divisions assigned to cryptocurrency and crypto cybercrimes.
Australian Female Hacker Sentenced to 2 Years of Prison for $400K Ripple (XRP) Crypto Heist
Australia recorded one of its first cases of cryptocurrency theft recently.
Australian Federal Agency Ex-Employee Evades Prison Despite Illegally Mining Ether and Monero on Supercomputers
A former employee of an Australian federal agency avoided prison despite mining cryptocurrency on government supercomputers.
The French Army Validates its Judicial Expenses via Tezos Blockchain
The French Army has revealed that it has been using the Tezos Blockchain to authenticate its judicial expenses through a smart contract. This development makes Tezos the first blockchain to be used for operative intentions by a public entity.
Two Massachusetts Men Arrested And Charged To US Court For Supposed Social Media Frauds And Crypto Theft
Two Massachusetts men had been arrested and charged to court on account of stealing victims' social media accounts and cryptocurrency through swapping their sims, hacking their computers, and other nameless techniques.