Three UK teenagers have been sentenced to a total of 16 years in youth detention for a violent robbery in which $4.3 million in cryptocurrency was stolen at knifepoint. The Metropolitan Police recovered the stolen crypto within 72 hours, linking the suspects through social media footage and vehicle tracking. Security experts warn that such ‘wrench attacks’—targeting individuals rather than hacking wallets—are a growing threat, with losses exceeding $41 million in 2025.
about UK Teens Jailed for $4.3M Crypto Wrench AttackFBI
0 in Finance and 1 in Crypto last weekCrypto Losses Hit $4B in 2025 as Scams and Centralized Attacks Surge
Cryptocurrency scams and hacks drained over $4 billion from users and platforms in 2025, marking a 34% increase from the previous year. The surge was driven by a clear shift toward targeted social engineering and attacks on centralized players, with scams alone rising far faster than technical exploits, according to data from blockchain security firm PeckShield.
about Crypto Losses Hit $4B in 2025 as Scams and Centralized Attacks SurgeFBI Warns of $262M Account Takeover Scam Epidemic
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued a dire warning about an escalating epidemic of Account Takeover (ATO) scams, which have siphoned a staggering $262 million from victims across the United States since January 2025. This sophisticated fraud, targeting individuals, businesses, and organizations alike, leverages social engineering and digital deception to bypass even multi-factor authentication, with stolen funds often vanishing into the opaque world of cryptocurrency. The scale and speed of these thefts represent a significant and growing threat to financial security nationwide.
about FBI Warns of $262M Account Takeover Scam EpidemicFlorida Seizes $1.5M Crypto in Fugitive Fraud Case
Florida prosecutors have seized approximately $1.5 million in cryptocurrency from a wallet tied to an overseas suspect, marking a significant application of traditional asset forfeiture doctrines to digital currencies. The case, involving a Chinese national accused of running an investment scam, demonstrates how legal frameworks like fugitive disentitlement are being adapted to target crypto assets, even when suspects remain beyond U.S. jurisdiction.
about Florida Seizes $1.5M Crypto in Fugitive Fraud CaseMaryland Man Jailed for Helping North Korea Infiltrate US Tech Firms
A Maryland man has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for his role in a sophisticated scheme that placed North Korean IT workers inside U.S. technology firms, granting foreign operatives unauthorized access to sensitive government systems, including those tied to national defense. The case, involving over $970,000 in fraudulent earnings, underscores a broader and financially motivated campaign by Pyongyang to fund its weapons programs through cyber fraud and digital asset theft, posing a significant threat to corporate and national security.
about Maryland Man Jailed for Helping North Korea Infiltrate US Tech FirmsU.S. Seizes Scam Domain, Sanctions Hit Cambodia’s Huione Group
U.S. authorities have escalated a coordinated crackdown on organized cryptocurrency fraud networks across Southeast Asia, seizing a fraudulent trading domain linked to a major scam compound in Burma and forcing the shutdown of a sanctioned Cambodian financial conglomerate. The actions, involving the Department of Justice, FBI, and international regulators, highlight a widening campaign to disrupt sophisticated operations that have defrauded victims of billions of dollars, with tech giants Google, Apple, and Meta removing thousands of linked accounts and apps following law enforcement alerts.
about U.S. Seizes Scam Domain, Sanctions Hit Cambodia's Huione GroupUpbit Hacked: $37M Stolen, North Korea Suspected
South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Upbit has suffered a major security breach resulting in $36.9 million in stolen assets. Authorities suspect North Korea’s notorious Lazarus Group may be behind the sophisticated attack, which comes exactly six years after the exchange’s previous major hack.
about Upbit Hacked: $37M Stolen, North Korea SuspectedAI Vending Machine Attempts FBI Contact Over $2 Fee
An autonomous vending machine powered by Anthropic’s Claude AI recently drafted an urgent email to the FBI’s cyber crimes division, reporting what it perceived as an “ongoing automated cyber financial crime” involving a disputed $2 fee. While the communication was part of a security simulation and never actually sent, the incident reveals critical questions about how advanced AI systems interpret financial transactions and exercise judgment in autonomous operations. The scenario highlights emerging challenges as businesses deploy increasingly independent AI systems for routine commercial activities.
about AI Vending Machine Attempts FBI Contact Over $2 FeeDetroit Man Gets 9 Years for Bitcoin ISIS Funding
A Detroit man has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for using Bitcoin to finance ISIS operations, marking another significant victory in the U.S. government’s intensified campaign against cryptocurrency-enabled terrorism financing. Jibreel Pratt concealed Bitcoin donations while providing extensive tactical documents on weaponizing drones and organizing intelligence networks, using sophisticated privacy tools to mask his transactions in what authorities describe as a sophisticated attempt to operate “in the shadows.”
about Detroit Man Gets 9 Years for Bitcoin ISIS FundingDOJ Launches Strike Force Against $135B Crypto Scams
The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a coordinated federal offensive against international “pig butchering” cryptocurrency scams, revealing these Chinese crime network-operated schemes likely stole $135 billion from Americans in 2024 alone. The newly formed Scam Center Strike Force represents a major shift in strategy, bringing together multiple agencies to dismantle transnational fraud operations that have exploited U.S. crypto infrastructure and social media platforms to victimize thousands.
about DOJ Launches Strike Force Against $135B Crypto ScamsCourt Rules FBI Not Liable for $345M Bitcoin Wipe
A US appeals court has delivered a landmark ruling that the FBI bears no responsibility for wiping a hard drive containing 3,443 Bitcoin now valued at $345 million, dealing a devastating blow to convicted identity thief Michael Prime. The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals found that Prime’s initial denial of cryptocurrency ownership during legal proceedings fundamentally undermined his subsequent claim for recovery, establishing a critical precedent for digital asset declaration requirements in federal cases.
about Court Rules FBI Not Liable for $345M Bitcoin WipeOperation Ironside Nets $37.9M Crypto in Global Crime Sting
Australian authorities have unleashed a new wave of criminal charges in Operation Ironside, filing approximately 800 counts related to drug trafficking, firearms, and conspiracy offenses while seizing nearly $38 million in cryptocurrency. The global investigation, a collaboration between the Australian Federal Police and FBI, leveraged an encrypted messaging platform secretly controlled by law enforcement to infiltrate organized crime networks. This latest enforcement action follows a critical High Court ruling that validated the use of intercepted communications as evidence, paving the way for what authorities describe as a significant breakthrough in combating sophisticated criminal operations.
about Operation Ironside Nets $37.9M Crypto in Global Crime Sting