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A UK hacker behind a Coinbase login scam that used dummy websites and sob stories to steal more than $900,000 worth of crypto has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.  As reported by the Norwich Evening News, 24-year-old Elliott Gunton was jailed at Norwich Crown Court for his part in a hacking plot that involved mimicking the website of crypto exchange Coinbase to fraudulently obtain user login details. The group would also call various telecom companies and use ‘sob stories’ to divert phone calls and access private account details.   Hong Kong police say alleged scammers swapped 11K fake notes for USDT Read more: UK ‘El Chapo’ faces 120 years in US prison over bitcoin-for-drugs ring The scam took place in 2018 and 2019, but by then Gunton was already a seasoned hacker . When he was just 16, he hacked the UK phone company TalkTalk and sold stolen customer data in exchange for crypto. Also in 2019, he was ordered to pay back £407,359 ($524,000) and received a three-and...

The rate of crypto crime in Hong Kong has reportedly tripled over the past three years, with documented crypto cases in 2023 involving almost 4.4 billion yuan (roughly $611 million), local outlets report.  Hong Kong’s Financial Services and Treasury Minister Hui Ching-yu reportedly revealed that the city’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) recorded 1,397 and 2,336 cases of crypto crime in 2021 and 2022 respectively. This figure rose to 3,415 in 2023. According to Hui, the SFC reportedly listed 14 crypto exchanges on its ‘List of Suspected Virtual Asset Trading Platforms’ as of February 14.  The South China Morning Post (SCMP) also reported that 5,105 cases of online investment fraud were handled by the police last year, a 170% jump in cases from the previous year .  Hong Kong bans two more crypto sites for misleading investors Read more: Police probe HK crypto exchange after users lose $15M to scams The same outlet has also reported that a financial manag...

The Taipei District Prosecutors Office has detained two individuals connected to the crypto exchange JPEX in relation to an investigation into potential fraud . According to local reports, Chang Tung-Ying, the lead partner at the Taiwan branch of the embattled crypto exchange, and Shi Yu, an academic linked to JPEX, have been arrested on accusations of infringing upon banking and anti-money laundering legislation. Prosecutors have instructed the local justice investigation bureau to conduct investigation s at nine sites, leading to the questioning of four individuals. A suspect with the last name Liu was granted bail for NT$50,000 (equivalent to $1,550), while another, named Niu, was released following their interrogation. The probe into JPEX’s activities began after reports emerged in June of the exchange promoting cryptocurrency products and seeking investments. You might also like: JPEX to become DAO, to freeze assets for 2 years The investigation also draws in...

A Scottish man who used crypto to buy 100 rounds of ammo and a gun from the US to allegedly kill himself has pleaded guilty to an array of gun charges, alongside owning pornographic material of animals and children. As reported by the Scottish Daily Express, 28-year-old James Maxwell purchased a Glock pistol with £1,000 worth of crypto currency from an online vendor in the US and ordered it to his address in Fife. However, his package was apprehended by US authorities, and both the gun and ammo were discovered hidden inside a household electronic device.  The illegal content was removed before US authorities tipped off Scottish police and sent the package onwards to Maxwell’s address. Then, when his package was delivered on January 11, Scottish police raided his property and found him wearing blue latex gloves while handling the contents of the package.  When his laptop was seized Maxwell was discovered to be in possession of a sexually explicit video of an underage girl and ...

Customers of defunct Crypto lender Celsius are reportedly being targeted by scammers impersonating the firm’s bankruptcy claim agent Stretto. As reported by Bleeping Computer, Celsius filed for bankruptcy last year, stopping withdrawals from user accounts. Desperate customers have subsequently filed claims against the company in attempts to claw back at least some of their funds. Now, they’re receiving phishing emails claiming to be from ‘Stretto Corporate Restructing’ that include a link to Seychelles-hosted phishing site claims-stretto[.]com. Once a victim connects their wallet, the site will attempt to drain all assets and NFTs stored in it by disguising the transaction as a deposit . Independent examiner finds Celsius ticks every Ponzi box Read more: Alex Mashinsky hints Do Kwon and SBF caused Celsius bankruptcy According to Bleeping Computer, the attackers are likely using older contact lists previously stolen through hacked Crypto currency marketing accounts. This is ...