Two Indicted in Latest Federal Prosecution of SIM-Swapping Crypto Theft

Joseph O’Connor indicted on a raft of wire fraud, computer hacking, money laundering and identify theft counts. Joseph O’Connor, known in some corners of the internet as PlugWalkJoe, was indicted on an array of charges relating to a May 2019 cryptocurrency exchange hack. During the attack, he is alleged to have absconded with digital assets valued at approximately $784,000.In the criminal scheme, authorities believe O'Connor utilized SIM swap attacks (an artifice of fraud where 2FA phone calls and text messages are rerouted to a device controlled by the scammer) on three separate....

Both parties in the ongoing trial of the former CEO of the defunct crypto exchange FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, gave their opening arguments on October 4 as part of the Day 2 proceedings. During this stage, the Prosecution made certain accusations, which SBF’s primary counsel, Mark Cohen, subsequently addressed in the defense’s opening argument.  Prosecution Accuses […]

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued an industry-wide warning about possible attacks on exchanges and crypto holders this week. The institution declared that there are threats actively tracking virtual asset platforms in order to take hold of these assets, causing financial losses in the process. Sim swapping, account theft and tech support staff are the means to accomplish these attacks. FBI Anticipates Cryptocurrency Attacks The FBI issued a warning against upcoming attacks on cryptocurrency exchanges and holders last week. The warning was distributed using the TLP....

The CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Cryptsy has been indicted in the U.S. The 17-count indictment charges the crypto exchange executive with “tax evasion, wire fraud, money laundering, computer fraud, tampering with records, documents, and other objects, and destruction of records in a federal investigation,” the DOJ said. Cryptsy’s CEO Faces 17-Count Indictment The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Wednesday that Paul E. Vernon, the founder, operator, and chief executive officer (CEO) of Project Investors Inc., doing business as Cryptsy, has been indicted. A....

Tech entrepreneur and former anti-virus tycoon John McAfee has been indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) on money laundering and fraud charges. The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the FBI unsealed the indictment charging McAfee and his associate Jimmy Watson with securities fraud. John McAfee Indicted by US Law Enforcement for Fraud and Money Laundering Tied to Crypto Schemes According to a press release published by the DoJ on March 5, John McAfee has been indicted for a number of charges tied to his cryptocurrency operations and his so-called....