Two foreign nationals pleaded guilty in Newark federal court regarding their participation in the Lockbit ransomware organization, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed on Thursday. Russian citizen Ruslan Magomedovich Astamirov and Mikhail Vasiliev, a dual citizen of Canada and Russia, were identified as members of the Lockbit group. Active since January 2020, this group […]
DOJ and FBI Unveil Charges Against 3 UK Nationals in NFT Rug Pull Scam
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have unveiled charges against three UK nationals for a fraudulent non-fungible token (NFT) scheme involving “Evolved Apes,” promising a game development. “They allegedly took investor funds, never developed the game, and pocketed the proceeds.” US Charges 3 UK Nationals in NFT Rug […]
Estonian Nationals Extradited to US for $575M Crypto Fraud
Two Estonian nationals have been extradited from Estonia to the U.S. to face charges for their roles in “a massive multi-faceted cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme,” according to an announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turõgin are accused of operating a $ 575 million Ponzi scheme involving the fraudulent cryptocurrency …
US Authorities Arrest Chinese Nationals Allegedly Behind Crypto Scam Network
An indictment unsealed in the Central District of California charges two Chinese nationals, Daren Li and Yicheng Zhang, with leading a scheme to launder at least $ 73 million tied to an international crypto investment scam, often known as “pig butchering.” Li and Zhang allegedly managed a global network that laundered proceeds from fraudulent …
Google Sues Chinese Nationals for Running Crypto Scam Using Google Play App Store
Tech giant Google has filed a lawsuit against two Chinese nationals, accusing them of developing fraudulent cryptocurrency apps on the Google Play store and defrauding more than 100,000 users globally. “This is a unique opportunity for us to use our resources to actually combat bad actors who were running an extensive crypto scheme to defraud […]