Dutch court in The Hague ordered Binance to release the personal details of an account holder connected to a large-scale dating app scam. After the victim involved in the pig butchering scam lost nearly €186,000 ($200,000) through a continuous cryptocurrency transaction.
The case originated with a Dutch woman, who was tricked by someone she met on a dating app into sending a total of €186,000 in six transactions. She was made to believe it was a real crypto investment.
Binance Ordered to Reveal Scammer’s Details in Dutch Court Ruling
In August, the woman reported the scam to the police and hired an investigation firm to trace her lost funds. The firm found part of the stolen money in a Binance account. Binance froze the account but refused to share the user’s details without a court order to protect privacy. The woman’s lawyers asked the court to help find the scammer, and the court agreed, saying her need for justice was more important than the scammer’s privacy.
The key rulings from the court include:
1. Binance must reveal the scammer’s full name and address.
2. Binance has 14 days to share this information.
3. The account will stay frozen for four weeks, giving the woman time to decide if she wants to take more legal action.
Once Binance provides the details, she can decide on legal action.
Legal Expectations for Crypto Platforms
Both the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have recently ramped up efforts to combat crypto related fraud schemes, including pig butchering.
Pig butchering is a type of scam where the fraudster builds a relationship with the victim, often through dating apps or social media platforms. The scammer convinces the victim to make small investments promising big returns over a period of time. After the victim invests a large amount, the scammer takes the money and disappears, leaving the victim with nothing.
It shows that crypto platforms must follow legal orders when users lose money to fraud. As regulations on crypto grow, exchanges like Binance may have to work more with authorities to protect users and keep trust in crypto platforms. This case reminds Binance about the challenge of balancing user privacy with legal cooperation in fraud cases.
