Hillsborough and Campbell, California, residents have been alerted to a new email scam, according to local police departments. Scammers are sending emails containing personal details and photos of victims’ homes, threatening to release private information unless they pay $2,000 in bitcoin. The email warns recipients to pay “confidentiality charges” or risk having personal footage shared…
San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s detectives in California, United States, have recovered nearly $5,000 of the $17,000 stolen in a cryptocurrency scam targeting victims in Los Osos two years ago. On Sept. 12, 2022, the victims informed authorities that they were deceived by a scammer posing as a relative in legal trouble, leading them to…
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has alerted Minden, Nevada, residents to a scam involving threatening emails aimed at extorting money through bitcoin. The emails claim to possess personal details such as the victim’s home address, phone number, and internet browsing history. The scammer threatens to expose the victim’s browsing history unless a ransom is paid…
Three former servicemen in India have lodged a complaint with the Chandannagar police, Pune, accusing eight officials from a trading firm of defrauding them of over Rs. 79.81 lakh (approximately $96,000) through a cryptocurrency scam since 2022. The ex-servicemen had invested their retirement savings in cryptocurrency, lured by promises of doubling their investment within 20…
The Moscow Exchange (MOEX), Russia’s largest securities marketplace, will not participate in an experimental program for cryptocurrency trading, as confirmed by Nikolai Trunichkin, head of digital projects at the exchange. This decision follows the Russian State Duma’s July approval of a legislative package to legalize digital currencies, allowing exchange trading under the oversight of the…
Westlake Police are cautioning residents about a rise in blackmail scam emails. Scammers claim they have been monitoring recipients’ online activities and demand payment, typically in bitcoin or gift cards, to prevent exposing personal internet habits. These emails may appear highly personalized, using details like the recipient’s name, address, or even attaching photos of their…
Two managers from the now-defunct crypto fraudulent investment platform Omegapro were arrested in Istanbul, according to Turkish media reports. Dutch executive Robert Velghe was arrested Tuesday, following the July arrest of Swedish co-founder Andreas Szakacs. Omegapro, founded in 2018 and registered in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, allegedly defrauded investors out of $4 billion by…
UBS reported on Thursday that European real estate markets appear to be entering a new investment cycle, with key indicators pointing to stabilization. “A new cycle starts,” the report said, as investment volumes show signs of bottoming out. After a period of inflation and rising interest rates, the UK saw a 6.5% quarter-on-quarter growth in…
The United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) held their third Trilateral Diplomatic Working Group meeting on Friday in Seoul to address North Korean cyber threats. Led by U.S. Deputy Special Representative Seth Bailey, ROK’s Lee Jun-il, and Japan’s Kumagai Naoki, the meeting focused on North Korea’s cyber activities, including revenue generation through…
Eighty-eight business leaders, including Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen, have endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president, in a new letter shared by CNBC on Friday. Some crypto investors are puzzled by Larsen’s move, given the Biden administration’s stringent regulatory stance on cryptocurrency and its ongoing lawsuit against Ripple. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)…
Zambia’s latest move to restrict foreign currency use in domestic transactions is aimed at stabilizing its currency, the kwacha, according to central bank Governor Denny Kalyalya. The Bank of Zambia announced this initiative in June and is still consulting market participants, with no set implementation date. Kalyalya highlighted that foreign currency use hinders effective monetary…
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is committed to supporting the economic development of the Global South through its membership in the BRICS group, according to Younis Haji Al Khoori, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Finance. The UAE aims to foster cooperation among BRICS countries to achieve shared goals like financial stability, sustainable development, and enhanced…
Riot Platforms Inc., the largest shareholder of bitcoin mining firm Bitfarms Ltd. with a 19.9% stake, issued an open letter calling for significant changes to Bitfarms’ governance ahead of the Oct. 29 special meeting. Riot criticized recent board changes as insufficient, emphasizing the need for independent directors to enhance shareholder value. The letter highlights concerns…
Prosecutors in Scotland have made legal history by converting cryptocurrency into cash under proceeds of crime legislation. John Ross Rennie, 29, has been ordered to hand over £109,601 after his BTC holdings were linked to criminal activity. The case initially proposed a settlement entirely in cryptocurrency, but Judge Lady Ross sought legal clarification on whether…
HDFC Bank, a leading private sector bank in India, has introduced new features for Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and central bank digital currency (CBDC) to enhance digital banking for its customers. Announced at the Global Fintech Fest 2024 in Mumbai, India, these innovations, developed in partnership with fintech companies like Kreditpe, Tonetag, and Payu, aim…
South Korean police arrested a man in his 40s for orchestrating a cryptocurrency scam that defrauded 158 investors of 16 billion won ($12 million). Operating from November 2021 to June 2022, he promised an 18% monthly return on investments in a fake cryptocurrency mining business. The scam resulted in individual losses ranging from 1.2 million…
The Russian economy has experienced substantial growth across various sectors, with unemployment rates remaining historically low, despite ongoing Western sanctions related to the Ukraine conflict. Industrial production, driven by military manufacturing, saw a 3.3% increase in July, and the GDP growth rate for the first half of the year reached 4.6%, compared to 1.8% in…
Rhodium Encore LLC, a bankrupt bitcoin mining company, has received court approval for a unique debtor-in-possession financing plan that allows borrowing in either U.S. dollars or bitcoin. Galaxy Digital Holdings Ltd., a blockchain firm led by Mike Novogratz, has offered to provide Rhodium with a loan of either $30 million in dollars or 500 bitcoin….
A court in British Columbia, Canada, has ordered Daniel Tambosso to repay Hung Nguyen $1.2 million for a loan of 22 bitcoins made in 2021. Nguyen, a Canadian real estate agent, claimed the loan constituted his entire savings, and Tambosso’s failure to repay has severely impacted his finances and mental health. Tambosso, claiming to be…
Naveen Mallela, global co-head of Onyx, JPMorgan’s blockchain and digital currency unit, highlighted the rapid adoption of blockchain technology in India, particularly after the 2022 launch of the central bank digital currency (CBDC), the e-rupee. He noted that CBDCs represent a significant advancement for Indian payments, positioning them as the next step in the evolution…
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is actively exploring the potential of central bank digital currency (CBDC) on an international scale, according to Governor Shaktikanta Das at the Global Fintech Fest. The RBI is focusing on enhancing CBDC’s interoperability with existing retail payment systems like the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) to facilitate seamless cross-border transactions….
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was reportedly unaware of an arrest warrant issued against him in France, according to a source from the Paris prosecutor’s office. The French investigation was not linked to any U.S. actions. Neither President Emmanuel Macron nor the French foreign ministry were informed in advance of Durov’s arrest or presence in France….
A Missouri man, Daniel Rhyne, was arrested for attempting to extort his former employer, a New Jersey-based industrial company. Rhyne, a former core infrastructure engineer for the company, allegedly sent an extortion email on Nov. 25, 2023, claiming to have locked out or deleted the company’s IT administrators from its computer network and deleted server…
Bitfarms Ltd., a bitcoin mining company, announced on Tuesday that it has taken control of its new data center in Sharon, Pennsylvania. “This site represents Bitfarms’ first mega-site in the U.S. with access to up to 120 MW,” the company said. Located in the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland (PJM) grid, the site offers low-cost, flexible power ideal…
The U.S. Department of State and the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs co-hosted a symposium in New York City on Tuesday, focusing on protecting the virtual asset industry from exploitation by North Korea (DPRK) and disrupting its revenue generation. The event aimed to curb DPRK’s efforts to fund its weapons of mass destruction…
The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) issued a consumer alert on Tuesday, stating that it has received a complaint regarding possible fraudulent activities by a cryptocurrency trading platform named BIB. An investor reported that after transferring 20,000 USDT to BIB following advice from individuals named Austin Johnson and Cindy Turner, he was unable…
French prosecutors have announced that an investigative judge extended the police custody of Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, on Monday evening for up to 48 hours. After that, French authorities must either release or charge him. Durov was detained on Saturday at Le Bourget airport amid a judicial investigation launched last month concerning 12 alleged…
Thailand has extradited Malaysian businessman Tedy Teow, also known as Zhang Yufa, to China over a massive cryptocurrency scam amounting to more than 100 billion yuan (US$14 billion). This marks the first extradition under the Thailand-China treaty since 1999. Teow, the founder of MBI Group, is accused of running a pyramid scheme that defrauded over…
Yang Bin, a 61-year-old Dutch national, was sentenced by a Singapore court to six years in prison and fined S$16,000 Singapore dollars for orchestrating a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme. Yang’s company, A&A Blockchain Innovation, falsely claimed to own 300,000 cryptocurrency mining machines, promising investors a daily return of 0.5%. In reality, the company had no such…
A Russian cybercriminal, Deniss Zolotarjovs, has been charged in the U.S. with crimes related to his involvement in a cybercrime organization known for extorting victims and laundering cryptocurrency. The 33-year-old Moscow resident was indicted in Cincinnati, Ohio, on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, wire fraud, and Hobbs Act extortion. Arrested in Georgia in…
Following Telegram founder Pavel Durov’s arrest, Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted the hashtag #FreePavel on his social media platform X. The hashtags #FreePavel and #FreeDurov emerged as supporters protested Durov’s arrest and called for his release. Durov is known for his strong stance on privacy and free speech, often clashing with government authorities over his…
Taiwan’s high court on Thursday convicted eight people, including military personnel, of espionage for China, with payments allegedly made in cryptocurrency, the Central News Agency reported. The sentences range from 1.5 to 13 years in prison, while one individual was acquitted, and another remains at large. According to the Ministry of Justice’s Investigation Bureau, the…
The Digital Chamber filed an amicus brief on Tuesday in support of Nvidia Corp. It focuses on the implications of the Ninth Circuit’s decision for the cryptocurrency industry. The brief argues that the Ninth Circuit’s approach to pleading standards under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (PSLRA) could severely impact emerging technology sectors, especially cryptocurrency….
Cryptocurrency fund Ikigai Strategic Partners has agreed to pay a $150,000 fine to the National Futures Association (NFA) following allegations of an illicit bitcoin loan, according to an Aug. 20 decision by an NFA hearing panel. The fine addresses the fallout from the industry-wide liquidity crisis triggered by the collapse of crypto exchange FTX in…
India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), published its August bulletin on Monday. The report discusses several aspects of central bank digital currency (CBDC) and its implications. The RBI is actively involved in developing CBDC initiatives to enhance cross-border payments, improve financial inclusion, and mitigate risks posed by private digital instruments. The RBI’s…
A Utah woman, Krista Renae Stone, 23, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for attempting to orchestrate a murder-for-hire using the dark web, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Monday. Stone targeted her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend, arranging to pay $5,000 in bitcoin to a website offering hitman services between March and…
Seven individuals were arrested in Malaysia during a special operation targeting illegal bitcoin mining in Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi and Taman Putra Perdana. The operation, which involved coordinated efforts by law enforcement, focused on detecting and stopping bitcoin mining activities linked to electricity theft. The suspects, aged between 30 and 74, included three local men…
U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump stated on Monday that if elected, he would consider appointing Tesla CEO Elon Musk to a cabinet or advisory role. Trump praised Musk as a “brilliant” and “very smart guy,” expressing his openness to involving the Tesla boss in his administration if Musk were willing. Recently, Musk…
The New Hampshire Bureau of Securities Regulation has issued a cease and desist order against Finstate Investment LLC, accusing it of defrauding investors via a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment website. Finstate allegedly misrepresented account activity and offered illegal guarantees against losses. A retired New Hampshire resident, persuaded via Facebook to invest $3,526 in cryptocurrency with Finstate,…
Goldman Sachs economists have lowered the likelihood of a U.S. recession within the next year from 25% to 20%, citing recent data on retail sales and jobless claims. If the upcoming August jobs report, scheduled for release on September 6, shows favorable results, the probability of a recession may be further reduced to 15%, which…
UBS reported on Friday that U.S. stocks extended their rally as new economic data, including a 1% rise in July retail sales, eased concerns about a potential recession. Despite the encouraging consumer resilience, UBS cautioned that the risk of a significant economic slowdown remains, especially after weaker July jobs data. Investors are advised to wait…