2019-2-18 17:23 |
Exchange hacks, darknet activities and money laundering emerge as major trends in crypto crime in 2018
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Malicious actors stole roughly $9. 9 billion from the crypto ecosystem last year — the lowest amount since 2021, according to a recent Chainalysis report. The firm added that the figure is expected to rise to $12.
The FBI’s initiative to counter crypto investment fraud has helped thousands of victims avoid losing millions of dollars since its launch, according to a Feb. 13 press release. Dubbed Operation Level Up, the program proactively identifies individuals in the midst of being scammed and intervenes before they lose their money.
India has intensified efforts to curb crypto-related scams by collaborating with tech giants Google and Meta (formerly Facebook), according to the Ministry of Home Affairs’ 2024 annual report.
T3 Financial Crime Unit (T3 FCU) has frozen criminal assets valued at $100 million across five continents. Formed by Tether, TRON, and TRM Labs in August 2024, the group collaborates with law enforcement worldwide to disrupt organized schemes that rely on blockchain transactions.
The demand for fresh narratives in the crypto space has ignited a booming trend—AI-inspired memecoins. These tokens, blending artificial intelligence with the viral appeal of meme culture, have surged to a collective market capitalization of over $10 billion, as per Coingecko data.
Pig butchering scams led to $3. 6 billion in crypto losses in 2024, emerging as the most significant fraud scheme of the year, according to a report by web3 security firm Cyvers. The long-term fraud method, where victims are groomed over time to make substantial investments, outpaced other forms of crypto scams in 2024.
The rise of crypto has become a breeding ground for financial scams in France, contributing to a surge in fraudulent activity that has authorities scrambling to protect consumers. The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office, along with regulatory bodies like the AMF and ACPR, are particularly concerned about the growing number of schemes involving bogus crypto investments.