Tagged: crypto crime

January 29, 2026 @ 9:01 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Blockchain analytics firm TRM Labs has released a report indicating that during 2025, the cryptocurrency landscape witnessed an unprecedented spike in illicit activities, totaling $158 billion in volume—a 145% surge from the $64.5 billion recorded the previous year. According to insights from TRM Labs, this… Read More

January 27, 2026 @ 6:47 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

TRM Labs has highlighted two significant developments that have seemingly exposed various vulnerabilities in cryptocurrency security and its exploitation for illicit purposes. Blockchain analytics firm TRM Labs has shed light on a sophisticated theft operation potentially compromising U.S. government-held funds, as well as the resurgence… Read More

January 26, 2026 @ 12:11 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The US government has taken control of more than 127,000 Bitcoin, currently valued at over $11.4 billion, following what authorities describe as one of the largest cryptocurrency forfeitures ever. This haul stems from a sophisticated operation involving international fraud, sanctions evasion, and alleged ties to… Read More

January 25, 2026 @ 5:49 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

TRM Labs pointed out that in a dramatic turn of events, Ryan Wedding, once a celebrated Canadian snowboarder who represented his country at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, has been apprehended by the FBI in Mexico City. TRM Labs also mentioned that… Read More

January 25, 2026 @ 1:34 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a development that underscores the varying consequences faced by key figures in one of the crypto sector’s most significant fraud cases, Caroline Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda Research, was released from federal custody on January 22, 2026. Ellison, who had been serving a… Read More

January 14, 2026 @ 8:09 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Cryptocurrency scams reached alarming heights in 2025, with experts projecting that fraudsters siphoned off approximately $17 billion from victims worldwide. This figure represents a sharp increase from the recalculated $12 billion lost the previous year, highlighting a troubling 24% annual growth trend in scam estimates…. Read More

January 13, 2026 @ 8:03 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Illicit cryptocurrency transactions reached an all-time high of $158 billion in 2025, according to TRM Labs‘ newly released 2026 Crypto Crime Report. This figure marks a 145% increase from the $64.5 billion recorded in 2024, shattering the multi-year decline observed from 2021 ($85.9 billion) through… Read More

January 11, 2026 @ 3:16 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In a recent demonstration of international collaboration, Operation Sentinel has delivered a major blow to cybercrime networks across Africa. Coordinated by INTERPOL under the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC), this month-long initiative from October 27 to November 27, 2025, resulted in the arrest of… Read More

January 10, 2026 @ 10:32 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a rather concerning case that highlights vulnerabilities within France’s public institutions, a 32-year-old ex-tax agent named Ghalia C. remains behind bars following her involvement in a scheme that allegedly facilitated attacks and data breaches. Employed previously at the Bobigny tax office in Seine-Saint-Denis, Ghalia… Read More

January 9, 2026 @ 8:56 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Illicit cryptocurrency activities surged to unprecedented levels in 2025, with criminal addresses receiving at least $154 billion—a staggering 162% increase from the previous year. This record-breaking figure, driven largely by a 694% spike in funds flowing to sanctioned entities, underscores the growing intersection of digital… Read More

November 18, 2025 @ 10:43 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Tether, which claims to be one of the largest companies in the digital assets industry, recently announced that it supported the Royal Thai Police and the United States Secret Service in a “coordinated” international operation that led to the seizure of approximately 12 million USDT… Read More

November 9, 2025 @ 10:31 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

This past week, Eurojust announced the results of an international operation that has been credited with dismantling a transnational criminal network, which is said to have been behind one of the largest crypto investment fraud schemes uncovered to date. TRM Labs noted in an extensive… Read More

November 2, 2025 @ 12:38 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Global law-enforcement officials and financial-crime experts said authorities must move faster and set clearer, common rules to curb crypto-enabled crime, as the 9th Global Conference on Criminal Finances and Crypto-assets closed in Vienna this week. The two-day meeting, co-organised by Europol, the UN Office on… Read More

October 13, 2025 @ 8:38 am By Omar Faridi  |  

This past month, Brazil’s Polícia Federal launched Operation Lusocoin, which is described by blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs as a sweeping investigation into a rather sophisticated criminal network that has been accused of laundering billions of reais via various cryptocurrency transactions. TRM Labs recently revealed… Read More

October 8, 2025 @ 11:31 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Elliptic analysis reveals that North Korea-linked hackers have reportedly stolen over $2 billion in crypto-assets so far this year, which is said to be the largest annual total on record, with around 3 months still to go before 2025 comes to an end. But to… Read More

October 6, 2025 @ 2:52 am By Omar Faridi  |  

According to available data, Regtech firm SlowMist noted that the MistTrack Team received a total of 317 stolen fund reports during the third quarter of this year, which reportedly includes 245 local submissions as well as 72 different international submissions. The team has now provided… Read More

August 28, 2025 @ 8:47 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Cryptocurrency’s rise as a global financial tool has brought both tech advancements and challenges, with illicit actors exploiting its decentralized and permissionless nature. As noted in an update from Chainalysis, recent enforcement actions underscore a concerted international effort to combat crypto-enabled crime, from pig butchering… Read More

August 12, 2025 @ 3:46 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The cryptocurrency sector in 2025 has matured significantly, offering opportunities for growth while serving as a breeding ground for sophisticated financial crimes. As scams and money laundering tactics evolve, compliance professionals face mounting challenges in safeguarding platforms and users. A recent report from Elliptic, a… Read More

August 3, 2025 @ 9:59 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Telegram’s May 2025 ban on two major illicit cryptocurrency marketplaces, Huione Guarantee and Xinbi Guarantee, has disrupted Southeast Asia’s guarantee services ecosystem, though it has not eradicated it. According to a July 29, 2025, report by TRM Labs, these platforms, which facilitated over $35 billion… Read More

July 27, 2025 @ 5:39 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Earlier this year, the cryptocurrency space was negatively impacted by the collapse of CBEX, a supposed trading platform that defrauded investors of nearly $1 billion. As detailed in Elliptic’s blog post, part of their 2025 State of Cross-Chain Crime report, CBEX’s downfall exposed the sophisticated… Read More