As Bitcoin and other digital currencies reach new heights, a disturbing trend is casting a shadow over the financial freedom promised by crypto. Violent crimes including kidnappings and so-called “wrench attacks”—are ”increasingly targeting crypto investors, drawing attention to the very real physical risks of digital wealth. In recent months, high-profile incidents have brought this threat…
NEW YORK— Lawyers for two men accused of kidnapping and torturing a 28-year-old Italian national over his cryptocurrency holdings presented a striking new narrative in Manhattan criminal court Wednesday: the alleged victim, they said, wasn’t being held captive at all. Instead, attorneys claim he was seen in photos and videos “laughing and smiling,” frequenting shops…
In a move signalling the growing importance of digital currencies in legal and financial proceedings, the UK’s Insolvency Service has appointed its first-ever crypto intelligence officer. The role, filled by veteran investigator and former police detective Andrew Small, marks a critical step in the government’s efforts to recover digital assets tied to bankruptcies and criminal…
Hong Kong, June 12— In a bold move to combat rising financial crime in the digital age, Hong Kong Customs is collaborating with the University of Hong Kong (HKU) to develop a cutting-edge tool capable of tracing cryptocurrency transactions. The partnership aims to bolster the city’s defences against money laundering schemes that have increasingly exploited…
Singapore, June 12— In a sweeping crackdown on crypto-fueled financial crime, Singapore police have arrested 49 individuals linked to a digital account rental scheme that enabled large-scale money laundering through cryptocurrencies. The joint operation, carried out by Singapore’s Anti-Scam Command between May 13 and 30 in partnership with digital payment firm StraitsX, marks a major…
[London, June 12] In a decisive move to kerb the financing of child sexual abuse through digital currencies, blockchain analytics firm Elliptic has joined forces with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). The partnership is designed to reinforce efforts in identifying and preventing the use of cryptocurrencies to fund and profit from the distribution of child…
Stacey Wales, sister of Christopher Pelkey, who was killed in a 2021 road rage incident, used artificial intelligence to present her brother in court. After two years preparing her own victim impact statement, Wales felt it would not fully capture her brother’s humanity or what he would have wanted to say to his killer. AI…
High-Stakes Kidnappings Rock French Crypto Scene An alarming trend of violent ransom kidnappings has surfaced across France, each of which is demanding anywhere from $6 million to $10 million worth of untraceable currency. French officials are now trying to piece together whether these unabashed assaults are interconnected, after a police rescue mission just south of…
In a police operation in the early hours of the morning, the father of a wealthy cryptocurrency entrepreneur was saved near Paris, French police. Authorities claim that the man was taken hostage for ransom, which is said to be the most recent mercenary endeavor in France for the so-called ‘cryptocide’—crimes’ involving the management of digital…
French authorities have alleged that certain cryptocurrency-associated investors have fallen prey to a string of kidnappings. The police investigation comes on the heels of one recent case where a 60-year-old man was said to have had a finger severed by his captors, who were holding his crypto-millionaire son for ransom. This source claims it is…
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