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Finiko Founder Doronin Offers to Testify Against 44 Accomplices at Crypto Pyramid
22.11.2021
Kirill Doronin, mastermind of the Russian crypto Ponzi scheme Finiko, has proposed to testify against dozens of his former associates he claims violated his order to accept only cryptocurrency from investors. The founder of Russia’s largest financial pyramid in modern times has already...
Canada Detains Teen for Alleged $36 Million Cryptocurrency Theft
21.11.2021
A teenager has been arrested in Canada after committing what law enforcement officials in Ontario have described as the largest crypto theft by a single person. The Canadian is accused of stealing tens of millions of dollars through a SIM swap targeting a crypto holder in the U.S. Teen Arrested...
US ‘Kidnapped’ Russian Crypto Businessman Denis Dubnikov, Lawyer Says
13.11.2021
U.S. law enforcement agents have “kidnapped” crypto entrepreneur Denis Dubnikov in Mexico, before transferring him to the Netherlands where he was arrested, his lawyer told Russian media. Dubnikov is suspected of money laundering and faces up to 20 years in prison if extradited to...
Silk Road 2 Admin Forfeits $667,000 in Bitcoin to British Law Enforcement
3.11.2021
According to reports, the founder of the now-defunct Silk Road 2 marketplace has forfeited more than half-billion dollars worth of bitcoin to British authorities. White’s Silk Road 2 admin handle was called “Cthulhu,” and he also dubbed himself as “DPR2.” Silk...
Alleged South African Bitcoin Fraudster Makes First Court Appearance Since Arrest
26.10.2021
Sandile Shezi, the South African bitcoin trader accused of defrauding investors, recently made his first court appearance before a Johannesburg magistrate. Shezi out on Bail The bitcoin trader’s court appearance came just days after he honored his pledge to surrender himself to the police....
Law Enforcement in Russia’s Samara Region Investigates 8 Cases of Fraud Related to Finiko
28.9.2021
The investigation into the Russia-based crypto pyramid Finiko is growing with law enforcement officials in Samara region announcing they have launched eight criminal cases against Finiko associates. Authorities are also working to identify more victims of the Ponzi scheme, Russia’s largest...
Court Extends Detention of Finiko Pyramid Founder Doronin and His Right-Hand Man
25.9.2021
A court in Tatarstan has extended the detention of Kirill Doronin, founder of Russia’s largest Ponzi scheme in recent times, Finiko. Doronin will spend at least two more months in custody as authorities fear he could hide from law enforcement. Ilgiz Shakirov, vice-president of the crypto...
Former Monero Developer Spagni Released From US Prison, Pledges to Address Fraud Allegations
23.9.2021
Former Monero developer Riccardo Spagni has been released from a U.S. prison where he reportedly spent “sixty-one days in solitary confinement.” The developer’s release was prompted by the failure of South African authorities “to make a timely submission in support of...
Russian Court Confirms Arrest Warrants for 3 Finiko Founders
20.9.2021
Tatarstan’s highest court has rejected appeals against arrest warrants issued for three co-founders of the notorious Finiko crypto pyramid. The top representatives of the Ponzi scheme, accused of large-scale fraud in Russia, are still hiding abroad, media reports reveal. Three Finiko Ponzi...
Ex-Head оf Wex Crypto Exchange Reportedly Arrested in Poland, Faces Extradition to Kazakhstan
20.9.2021
Dmitry Vasiliev, former chief executive of Russian cryptocurrency exchange Wex, has been detained in Warsaw, the Polish press reported. Vasiliev is wanted in Kazakhstan where he is accused of fraud related to the now defunct trading platform, successor of the infamous BTC-e exchange. Former...
Top Finiko Crypto Pyramid Executive Arrested in Russia’s Tatarstan
9.9.2021
A high-ranking representative of Russia’s notorious Finiko Ponzi scheme has been arrested in Tatarstan. Ilgiz Shakirov, a businessman from Kazan, rose to the rank of vice president of the crypto pyramid which is believed to have defrauded millions of investors in the Russian Federation...
Buyer of Jack Dorsey's 'genesis tweet NFT' reportedly detained in Iran
17.5.2021
Iranian cyber police allegedly seized control of Bridge Oracle CEO Sina Estavi’s Twitter account
Turkish Crypto Exchange Exit Scam: CEO Flees Country, 62 People Detained, Users Cannot Access $2 Billion of Funds
24.4.2021
A Turkish cryptocurrency exchange with about 400,000 users has been accused of pulling an exit scam. Its CEO has reportedly fled Turkey, allegedly taking $2 billion of customer funds with him. The police have an arrest warrant for the CEO and 62 people have already been detained in connection with...
Indian Police Bust International Bitcoin Extortion Rackets, 96 Arrested
23.12.2020
Ninety-six people have reportedly been arrested in India for allegedly extorting bitcoin from foreigners. They set up illegal call centers, posed as police officers, and told the victims that their bank accounts had been used in illegal transactions. They also threatened to immediately arrest...
Alleged Twitter Hack ‘Mastermind’ Owns $3 Million in Bitcoin, Bail Set at $725K
3.8.2020
Regional reports from Tampa show that the alleged “Mastermind” behind the July 15, Twitter hack owns more than $3.3 million dollars worth of bitcoin. While appearing on a video screen at the Hillsborough County Courthouse, the judge set 17-year old Graham Clark’s bail at $25,000...
$15 Million Bounty on Maduro: US Charges Venezuelan President With Narco-Terrorism, Corruption, Drug Trafficking
27.3.2020
The U.S. has charged 14 high-ranking officials of the Venezuelan government, including President Nicolas Maduro, with “narco-terrorism, corruption, drug trafficking and other criminal charges.” The U.S. government is offering rewards of up to $15 million for any information leading...
YouTuber Sentenced to 50 Years for Kidnapping and Bitcoin Ransom
4.3.2020
A former YouTuber has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for masterminding a kidnapping that demanded $100,000 in BTC for the victim’s safety
US Department of Justice Is Criminalizing Onchain Privacy, Starting With Mixers
14.2.2020
The American government’s long-running war on privacy escalated this week following the arrest of Coin Ninja’s Larry Harmon on money laundering charges. A Department of Justice statement that “seeking to obscure virtual currency transactions in this way [using mixers] is...
Plea Bargain Means Silk Road 2 Admin Will Likely See No Prison Time
1.6.2019
Following the sentencing of Thomas White, the founder of the Silk Road 2 (SR2) marketplace during the first week of April, another SR2 administrator may evade prosecution. According to reports, SR2 admin Blake Benthall cooperated with global law enforcement and may only face fines for avoiding...