Nicholas Mui, 22, from Grand Haven, Michigan, has pleaded guilty in the 17th Circuit Court in Kent County to conducting a criminal enterprise, involving the theft and sale of Mperks account access information. Mui is required to forfeit his computer tower and approximately $630,000 in frozen cryptocurrency and cash. He compromised Mperks, a loyalty program…
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On July 16, the Nigeria Police Force confirmed the arrest of Linus Williams, a self-proclaimed crypto billionaire also known as Blord. Williams faces charges related to internet fraud, terrorism funding, and violations of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act. According to a police spokesman, some of Williams’ alleged crimes involve the use of cryptocurrency…
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John Bigatton, the Australian promoter of Bitconnect, has been convicted by the Sydney District Court for providing unlicensed financial advice, violating section 911B(1) of the Corporations Act 2001, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) announced Monday. Between August 2017 and January 2018, Bigatton promoted Bitconnect through seminars and social media, claiming significant returns on…
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Several federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), convened at a Fraud Disruption Conference to combat crypto scams, particularly the “pig butchering” fraud that siphons billions from Americans annually. The meeting brought together over 300 officials from 15 federal agencies to strategize against this pervasive…
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Rodney Burton, known as “Bitcoin Rodney,” will remain in detention awaiting trial on charges of masterminding a multi-billion-dollar cryptocurrency fraud. Arrested in January at Miami International Airport, Burton faces accusations of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business and the actual operation of such a business. U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett denied Burton’s bail request…
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The Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA), Belgium’s financial regulatory agency, has published its mid-2024 report, highlighting a significant increase in fraudulent activities, particularly involving trading platforms and cryptocurrency scams. Nearly half of the 1,332 consumer reports received in the first half of 2024 pertained to these scams, reflecting a 44% increase from the same…
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The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filed a case against Sam Ikkurty, Ravishankar Avadhanam, and Jafia LLC for civil violations of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA), specifically involving cryptocurrency investments. The court granted the CFTC’s motion for summary judgment on Monday, finding that the defendants misrepresented the performance of their crypto funds, operated a…
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The U.S. government has announced a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Ruja Ignatova, the Onecoin co-founder who is wanted for orchestrating one of the largest global fraud schemes. Ignatova has been a fugitive since 2017 after Onecoin defrauded investors of over $4 billion. US Offers $5 Million Reward…
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has alerted the public to “an emerging criminal tactic” targeting investors who have already fallen victim to cryptocurrency scams and seek to recover their lost funds. These fraudsters often claim to be authorized by the FBI, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), or other government agencies to lend credibility to…
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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Friday that Robert Wesley Robb, 46, from Colorado, pled guilty to wire fraud for deceiving investors with false promises about a Maximum Extractable Value (MEV) cryptocurrency trading bot. Robb solicited investments via social media, claiming high returns and pressuring individuals to invest quickly. On Sept. 8, 2023,…
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