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DOJ Charges Belarusian National With Money Laundering Conspiracy and Operating Unlicensed Crypto Exchange
4.2.2024
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged the Belarus national Aliaksandr Klimenka with money laundering conspiracy and the operation of an unlicensed money services business. Most of these criminal activities were perpetrated via BTC-e’s servers in the U.S. which were “leased...
Man Behind Defunct BTC-e Exchange Once Popular with Criminals Faces U.S. Charges
1.2.2024
One of the men behind BTC-e, a now-defunct crypto exchange once popular with cybercriminals and money launderers, has been arrested and charged in the U.S., the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Thursday
German Authorities Confiscate 50,000 BTC Worth $2 Billion From Illegal Movie Site
30.1.2024
Source: Pixabay Following an investigation led by the Dresden General Prosecutor’s Office and the Saxony State Criminal Police, approximately 50,000 Bitcoins were “provisionally” secured in mid-January 2024 in connection with the crackdown on an illegal movie site. According to German...
HyperVerse's Alleged Ponzi Scheme Raked in Nearly $2B, Hired Actor as Fake CEO
29.1.2024
HyperVerse was a nearly $2 billion fraudulent crypto investment scheme with a fake CEO at its helm, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and a grand jury allege in a lawsuit and criminal indictments against two of its leaders
Interpol Publishes Report on Crime in the Metaverse
29.1.2024
The International Criminal Police Organization, known as Interpol, has issued a report that examines the metaverse from a law enforcement perspective. The report considers illegality in the metaverse, including metacrime, metaverse forensics, governance, and the opportunities it presents for using...
Crypto Forensics Breakthrough: Finnish Authorities Trace Monero in High-Profile Hack
28.1.2024
The National Bureau of Investigation in Finland has reportedly made significant progress in tracing Monero (XMR) transactions as part of an ongoing investigation into the criminal trial of Julius Aleksanteri Kivimäki. Kivimäki stands accused of hacking a private mental health firm’s database...
South Korean ‘Crypto Drug Dealer’ Jailed for 7 Years
25.1.2024
A South Korean court has sent a drug dealer who sold narcotics to crypto-paying “customers” to jail for seven years. Per the news agency Yonhap, the Criminal Division of the Busan District Court also ordered the unnamed individual – referred to by the media as “A” – to pay a fine of over $9,000....
Nexo Seeks $3B in Damages from Bulgaria Over Aborted Investigation Affecting US Stock Listing
24.1.2024
Crypto lender Nexo has started a legal battle seeking $3 billion in damages from Bulgaria following an aborted criminal investigation that the company claims derailed its plans for a US stock market listing and a soccer sponsorship deal. Nexo AG, a Swiss subsidiary of Nexo Capital based in...
Tornado Cash Co-Founder Expresses Concerns About Upcoming Trial on Money Laundering Charges
23.1.2024
Roman Storm, co-founder of Tornado Cash, a controversial cryptocurrency mixer, expressed fear and sought support from right-to-privacy advocates in anticipation of his upcoming criminal trial. Storm faces three charges, including conspiracy to commit money laundering, operating an unlicensed...
CEO of Crypto Ponzi Scheme IcomTech Handed Five-Year Sentence
22.1.2024
The CEO of a large-scale crypto Ponzi scheme known as IcomTech has been sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to forfeit $914,000 in criminal proceeds. On January 19th, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York, issued a press release stating that Marco Ruiz Ochoa...
South Korean ‘Bogus Crypto Exchange’ Fraudster Jailed
22.1.2024
Source: MemoryMan/Adobe A South Korean court has sent an individual who provided a bogus crypto exchange with illegal bank documents to prison for four years. Per Busan Ilbo, Judge Kim Jae-yoon of Changwon District Court sentenced an unnamed individual “in their 30s” following a fraud conviction....
Chainalysis Reveals Decline in Crypto Crime, Shift to Stablecoins in 2024 Crime Report
20.1.2024
Chainalysis’ latest report reveals a dual trend in the 2023 crypto crime landscape: a notable decrease in overall value of criminal transactions and a surprising shift from bitcoin to stablecoins as the preferred medium for illicit activities. 2024 Chainalysis Report Reveals a Decline...
Shanghai Court Issues Verdict in First Digital Yuan Money Laundering Case
18.1.2024
A Shanghai court has issued a verdict for the first instance of money laundering using Chinese digital yuan and cryptocurrency, marking a significant legal precedent of crypto-related crimes in China. According to Shanghai Securities News, the Yangpu District People’s Court of Shanghai...
Former Bithumb Chairman Acquitted in $100M Fraud Case in Second Trial
18.1.2024
The former chairman of Bithumb Holdings and Bithumb Korea, Lee Jeong-hoon, has been acquitted for the second time in the $100 million fraud case. The recent decision by the 5th Criminal Division of the Seoul High Court follows Lee’s earlier acquittal in January 2023 on comparable charges...
South Korea Mulls Issuing Crypto Mixing Regulations to Curb Money Laundering
17.1.2024
Financial authorities are preparing to issue cryptocurrency mixing-specific regulations in South Korea to stop criminal groups from using these tools to launder funds obtained illegally. The Korean authorities are discussing whether to allow virtual asset service providers (VASPs) to reject...
Number of Chinese CBDC-related Criminal Cases on the Rise
11.1.2024
Source: blackday/Adobe China’s rapid CBDC progress is causing a rise in digital yuan-related criminal cases, including suspected fraud, identity theft, and phishing. Per the Shenzhen Securities Times, a Shanghai court this week convicted a group of criminals that exploited CBDC functions on an...
Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried Retains New Counsel, Files Notice in Federal Court Ahead of Sentencing
10.1.2024
Source: A Video Screenshot, YouTube / CBS News Former FTX CEO Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried has informed the federal court that he has retained new counsel ahead of his sentencing hearing for seven criminal charges. Additionally, SBF’s legal team submitted a sealed document indicating...
Orbit Bridge Hacker Suspected in Coinspaid and Coinex Breaches
4.1.2024
Source: AdobeStock / Tamara Blockchain analysts from Match Systems have found that the Orbit Chain hackers used the same tactics as those in several other high-profile attacks – suggesting that a cybercrime organization, possibly the infamous Lazarus Group, stands behind these hacks. This...
The DOJ “Led the Way” in Defining Boundaries for the Crypto Industry in 2023: Former US Prosecutor
1.1.2024
Image source: Reuters In 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) emerged as a leading force in defining the boundaries of the cryptocurrency industry through high-profile criminal prosecutions. While the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed civil lawsuits against major players in...
Attorney Says They Are “Receiving 5-6 Emails a Day” From Victims of Pig Butchering Scams
1.1.2024
Source: AdobeStock / James Thew Pig butchering scams, a rapidly growing criminal activity involving online romance, fake crypto investments, and human trafficking, have been plaguing US citizens, resulting in significant financial losses. In a recnet interview, Erin West, Deputy District Attorney...