ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian has dismissed the charges of commodity fraud and market manipulation against Eisenberg.The judge ruled that the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to support the jury's conclusion that Avraham Eisenberg made significant false statements to Mango Markets. Eisenberg was convicted of wire fraud, commodity fraud, and commodity manipulation in April 2024 for profiting $110 million by exploiting a vulnerability in the decentralized exchange Mango Markets in 2022.

ChainCatcher news, according to Decrypt, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled in favor of Bitcoin ATM operator Bitcoin Depot in a fraud case. The court ordered the return of $28,000 that had previously been seized to Bitcoin Depot, rather than to the fraud victims.The case involves two separate fraud incidents in July 2023 and February 2024, where two victims were induced by the fraudster to transfer Bitcoin worth $14,000 through the Bitcoin Depot ATM in Linn County. Judge Dana Oxley noted that the victims had received warnings about the fraud risk before the transfer and confirmed the ownership of the wallet.

ChainCatcher news, according to Ping An Wuhan reports, the Wuhan Qingshan police recently successfully solved a virtual currency trading fraud case, recovering 200,000 yuan in losses for the victims. The suspects committed the fraud by using the "coin chopping" method, claiming they had not received the virtual currency transferred by the victims and refusing to pay the agreed amount in RMB. Currently, two suspects have been criminally detained in accordance with the law. The police remind that transactions related to virtual currencies are not protected by law.

ChainCatcher news, according to official news, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced on May 20, 2025, that it has filed a lawsuit against Unicoin Inc. in New York City and its three executives, accusing them of fraud in the issuance of token rights certificates and common stock.According to the SEC investigation, Unicoin falsely claimed to over 5,000 investors that its tokens were backed by "billions of dollars in real estate and pre-IPO company equity" through extensive promotion via airports, taxis, television, and social media, while the actual asset value was only a small fraction of what was claimed; it falsely reported having sold over $3 billion in rights certificates, while the actual fundraising did not exceed $110 million; and it incorrectly claimed that its securities were "SEC registered" or "U.S. registered."The SEC has brought multiple charges against CEO Alex Konanykhin, former president Silvina Moschini, and former chief investment officer Alex Dominguez, seeking permanent injunctions, the recovery of illegal gains, and civil penalties. The company's general counsel, Richard Devlin, has agreed to pay a $37,500 fine.

ChainCatcher news, according to CryptoSlate, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has appointed Katherine Reilly as the acting Inspector General, succeeding the retired Deborah Jeffrey. Reilly previously served as the Deputy Inspector General and Counsel for the SEC's Office of Inspector General.Reports indicate that Reilly's focus will be on resource allocation and internal vulnerability assessments, rather than the qualitative aspects of asset classes or future developments. She emphasized the importance of balancing the monitoring of fraudulent activities with the regulation of approved products such as Bitcoin and Ethereum ETPs.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, Vladimir Smerkis, co-founder of the Telegram Mini App project Blum and former head of Binance for Russia and the CIS, was arrested on May 17 in Moscow on suspicion of large-scale fraud. The official charges have not yet been disclosed, but some media outlets suggest it may be related to his earlier projects The Token Fund and Tokenbox.Blum stated that Smerkis has resigned from his position as CMO and will no longer be involved in the project. This incident has raised concerns among some users regarding the airdrop originally planned for the second quarter.

ChainCatcher News, the U.S. Department of Justice has charged 12 individuals with stealing over $263 million in cryptocurrency. These suspects are linked to a previous investigation in which scammers stole over $243 million from a creditor of Genesis. According to crypto detective ZachXBT last year, a creditor of the now-defunct Genesis was deceived by a group of scammers who stole $243 million in digital assets and then redirected them through a crypto mixer.U.S. courts stated that several of the 12 suspects were arrested this week in California, while two others are currently still abroad, possibly residing in Dubai.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, the former CEO of the bankrupt crypto lending service platform Cred, Daniel Schatt, and former CFO Joseph Podulka have pleaded guilty to telecommunications fraud in a California district court. Judge William Alsup accepted the plea agreement and scheduled the sentencing hearing for August 26.According to the plea agreement, the two defendants admitted to selectively presenting positive information while concealing negative news to induce users to lend fiat and digital currencies to Cred. The prosecution recommended a maximum sentence of 72 months in prison for Schatt and 62 months for Podulka.Cred filed for bankruptcy in November 2020, resulting in user losses of up to $150 million.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bitcoin.com, the San Francisco division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California jointly announced that victims of the cryptocurrency fraud case involving AML Bitcoin founder Rowland Marcus Andrade must submit claims by June 5. The main perpetrator promoted tokens such as AML Bitcoin under the guise of false anti-money laundering technology through entities like the "NAC Foundation" between 2014 and 2019, and has been sentenced for telecommunications fraud and money laundering.The FBI emphasized that under federal law, eligible victims can apply for compensation and legal support. Information must be submitted via a designated form, and late submissions will not be accepted. Authorities also urged the public to help spread the information to ensure that more potential victims are aware of their rights. Data shows that the case involves amounts totaling tens of millions of dollars, involving various virtual assets including Black Gold Coin.

ChainCatcher news, South Korean digital asset trading platform Upbit operator Dunamu announced that it will hold four online "Challenge! Financial Golden Bell" digital financial education events from June 25 to 27. This project is the first financial education program in the South Korean digital asset industry designed specifically for people aged 50 and above, in collaboration with the Financial Supervisory Service.According to data from the Financial Supervisory Service, from June 2023 to March 2024, victims aged 50 and above accounted for 33.4% of digital asset fraud cases. The project will systematically explain the basics of digital assets, market policies, and anti-fraud techniques through online courses and interactive Q&A sessions.The event plans to recruit 1,200 participants (300 per session), with registration open from May 12 to 30. Dunamu stated that this project is an important part of its "UP Class" tiered education program, aimed at narrowing the intergenerational digital divide and promoting the healthy development of the digital asset market.

ChainCatcher news, according to Inner City Press, former CEO of the cryptocurrency lending platform Celsius, Alex Mashinsky, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for cryptocurrency-related fraud. The judge has ordered him to surrender by September 12 at the latest.Mashinsky (59) had previously pleaded guilty to two charges of commodity fraud and a fraudulent scheme to manipulate the price of the company's native token (CEL). Prosecutors stated that he "orchestrated one of the largest frauds in the crypto industry" and had suggested a 20-year prison sentence.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, a report from Solidus Labs shows that Solana has become a popular blockchain favored by criminals and scammers. 98.6% of the tokens launched on pump.fun have been flagged as scams or fraudulent transactions. Since its establishment in January 2024, pump.fun has issued over 7 million tokens, of which only 97,000 tokens maintain at least $1,000 in liquidity. The largest fraudulent transaction identified by Solidus Labs during this period was valued at $1.9 million, related to MToken.Additionally, on Raydium, Solidus Labs found that 93% of liquidity pools (361,000 pools) exhibited soft rug pull characteristics, with a median rug pull value of $28,000.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bitcoin.com, the troubled Nigerian crypto exchange Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX) has recently announced new withdrawal options in an effort to restore investor confidence.Sources revealed that the company made this announcement amid rumors of impending closure. According to the new regulations, investors holding funds not exceeding $1,000 on the platform must pay a fee of $100 to withdraw 50% of their initial funds, which is expected to be released on June 20, 2025. CBEX has been accused of misappropriating funds from over 600,000 Nigerian users, leading the Nigerian SEC to declare the platform illegal. Despite the introduction of new withdrawal options, some users remain skeptical about the company's true situation, believing that this activation fee could be a potential scam to extract more money from Nigerians.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the state of Nevada have filed a lawsuit against a company named "IML," accusing it of $1.2 billion in fraud. The company provides investment training services in cryptocurrency, binary options, foreign exchange, and stock markets for young investors.According to the lawsuit documents, IML falsely advertised investment returns while attracting consumers. In reality, the company was aware that its salespeople either incurred losses or earned very little, with only one-fifth of them able to make more than $500.

ChainCatcher news, according to the official WeChat account of Sunwu County People's Court, the Sunwu Court is hearing a case involving fraud and money laundering through over-the-counter trading of virtual currency. The individuals involved used two wallets to transact 30,396,278.76 U coins, engaging in nearly 10,000 U coin transactions with multiple parties, involving nearly 10,000 receiving accounts, with a total transaction amount reaching 120 million yuan. The virtual currency funds they handled were used in 7 telecom network fraud cases to gain the victims' trust, transferring funds back to the victims, or directly or indirectly receiving accounts of the fraud proceeds.The Sunwu Court lawfully sentenced the individuals involved for concealing and disguising criminal proceeds, imposing corresponding penalties and fines, and confiscating all their illegal gains.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York recently sentenced Long Island resident Eugene William Austin Jr. (also known as Hugh Austin) to 18 years in prison for charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and interstate transportation of stolen property.The court found that Austin conspired with his son Brandon Austin to falsely promise victims large cryptocurrency transactions, short-term high-return investments, and services to introduce high-net-worth investors to startups, while actually defrauding them to fund personal luxury expenses.Brandon Austin pleaded guilty in 2023 and was sentenced to 4 years in prison. The two caused over 20 victims to suffer cumulative losses exceeding $10 million. Eugene Austin's sentencing date is set for February 20, 2025, and he faces a maximum of 45 years in prison.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York recently sentenced Long Island resident Eugene William Austin Jr. (also known as Hugh Austin) to 18 years in prison for charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and interstate transportation of stolen property.The court found that Austin conspired with his son Brandon Austin to falsely promise victims large cryptocurrency transactions, short-term high-return investments, and services to introduce high-net-worth investors to startups, while actually defrauding them to fund personal luxury expenses.Brandon Austin pleaded guilty in 2023 and was sentenced to 4 years in prison. The two caused over 20 victims to suffer cumulative losses exceeding $10 million. Eugene Austin's sentencing date is set for February 20, 2025, where he faces a maximum of 45 years in prison.

ChainCatcher message, Slow Mist's Chief Information Security Officer 23pds posted a reminder that there are currently phishing websites impersonating YZi Labs, luring users into fraudulent claiming operations, constituting a scam. This scam is spreading, and users need to remain vigilant and pay attention to asset security.

ChainCatcher News, the U.S. SEC has charged PGI Global founder Ramil Palafox with orchestrating a fraud that raised approximately $198 million from global investors and misappropriated over $57 million in funds.The SEC stated that PGI Global claimed to be a cryptocurrency and forex trading company. Between early 2020 and October 2021, Palafox sold "membership" packages, promising high returns and establishing a multi-level marketing-like referral reward system to encourage recruitment. Palafox used investor funds to purchase luxury goods and for personal expenses, while the remaining funds were used in a Ponzi scheme to pay returns to early investors until the scheme was exposed at the end of 2021.The SEC has filed a lawsuit in the Eastern District of Virginia, accusing him of violating federal securities laws and seeking injunctions, the recovery of illegal gains, and civil penalties. The lawsuit also names BBMR Threshold LLC and several individuals as relief defendants.