Report: Hong Kong Residents Lost More Than $216 Million to Crypto Scams in 2022

According to Hong Kong police, in 2022 there were 2,336 reported crypto scam-related cases in which more than $216.6 million was lost. Although losses relating to crypto scams only constituted just over 10% of the nearly 23,000 reported technology crimes, they still accounted for more than half of the $407.7 million that was lost to … Read more

Former Cohasset High School Employee Accused of Stealing Thousands in Electricity to Mine Bitcoin in School Campus Crawlspace

A former school assistant facilities director in Cohasset, Massachusetts, has been accused of operating a cryptocurrency mining operation inside a crawlspace at Cohasset High School. The Cohasset Police Department alleges that Nadeam Nahas stole nearly $18,000 in electricity to power the crypto mining scheme. Former Cohasset School Employee Faces Charges for Electricity Theft in School … Read more

Bitzlato to Restore Operations and Withdrawals From Russia, Co-founder Vows

Russia-linked cryptocurrency exchange Bitzlato, seized by Western law enforcement, plans to relaunch and permit partial withdrawals, a co-founder announced. Members of the trading platform’s team also intend to relocate the business to the Russian Federation. Co-Founder Says Exchange Will Provide Access to User Funds Crypto exchange Bitzlato is taking steps to restore operations and immediately … Read more

Hive Ransomware Network Dismantled by American, European Law Enforcement

Law enforcement authorities from over a dozen countries in Europe and North America have taken part in disrupting the activities of the Hive ransomware group, the U.S. Justice Department and Europol announced. Hive is believed to have targeted various organizations worldwide in the past couple of years, often extorting payments in cryptocurrency. Captured Decryption Keys … Read more

Binance Processed $346 Million for Crypto Exchange Bitzlato, Report Claims

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has reportedly processed nearly $346 million in crypto transactions for Bitzlato, the coin trading platform that was shut down in an international law enforcement operation. U.S. authorities say the world’s largest trading platform for digital assets was among Russian-owned Bitzlato’s major counterparties. Blockchain Data Indicates Binance Moved Over 20,000 BTC for Bitzlato … Read more

Bitzlato Executives Arrested in Europe, Exchange Laundered €1 Billion, Europol Says

European law enforcement authorities have detained four more members of the executive team of crypto exchange Bitzlato, Europol announced. According to the police agency, nearly half of the funds processed through the platform were associated with various criminal activities. Bitzlato Senior Management Targeted in Europe, Exchange Infrastructure Dismantled High-ranking executives of the recently busted Bitzlato … Read more

Crypto Lender Nexo Under Investigation for Alleged Money Laundering, Russian Sanction Violations in Bulgaria

According to several reports, Bulgarian law enforcement officials are investigating crypto lender Nexo for alleged money laundering and sanctions violations. Siika Mileva, a spokesperson for Bulgaria’s attorney general, said the probe into Nexo is a large-scale operation involving 300 investigators from various agencies, including the National Security Service, Gendarmerie, and Sofia Police. Bulgarian Law Enforcement … Read more

Crypto Community Asks: Where in the World Is Ex-Alameda CEO Sam Trabucco?

Following FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s arrest and the statements from his co-workers Gary Wang and Caroline Ellison, the spotlight has turned on the remaining executives who were part of the team’s inner circle. Another person people are curious about these days is Alameda Research’s ex-co-CEO Sam Trabucco. The 30-year-old executive left Alameda in Aug. 2022, … Read more

Caroline Ellison’s Testimony Claims FTX Boss SBF Directed Her to Co-Mingle Customer Funds Since 2019

On Dec. 23, 2022, Matthew Russell Lee from the Inner City Press published the recently unsealed guilty plea transcript of Caroline Ellison, Alameda Research’s former CEO. In her statements, Ellison describes that she was the co-CEO and CEO of Alameda, and under those roles, she reported directly to the former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF). … Read more