ChainCatcher news, according to BeInCrypto, cybercriminals are using a new type of phishing SMS scam targeting Binance users. Dozens of Binance users have reported receiving a batch of seemingly legitimate phishing messages, which use phone numbers and SMS inboxes consistent with the usual channels for receiving official Binance information. A comparison shows that the wording and format of these phishing messages are highly similar. It is speculated that specific threat actors or criminal groups are planning meticulously designed phishing attacks against Binance users. In such targeted phishing attacks, the messages often warn users of unusual activity on their accounts, such as new device two-factor authentication. The most common phishing messages mention an unexpected association between Binance API and Ledger Live, urging recipients to call the phone number provided in the message. Some users have stated that these phishing messages appear in the same SMS thread as legitimate Binance notifications, causing confusion and making it easy to fall into the trap. Many users are caught off guard because the sender ID of the scam messages is the same as the real Binance notification ID.Binance's Chief Security Officer Jimmy Su confirmed that Binance has noticed an increase in SMS phishing incidents. He stated, "More and more phishing scammers are impersonating us or other legitimate senders via SMS. These scam messages appear authentic, tricking users into revealing sensitive information, clicking phishing links, or transferring funds, resulting in asset loss for users." Su also revealed that Binance has extended its anti-phishing code feature to SMS services, which was originally designed for emails. This code is a user-customized identifier that appears in official Binance communications, helping recipients identify genuine notifications and avoid being deceived by impersonators. Currently, the anti-phishing code feature has been launched in all licensed jurisdictions where Binance operates. Additionally, Binance claims that both registered and unregistered users have reported receiving suspicious messages.

ChainCatcher News, the U.S. Department of Justice has released an official statement regarding cryptocurrency laws, stating that developers will not be held liable, while criminals using the code will be held accountable. This clarifies that developers are not responsible for the misuse of their code by criminals, and law enforcement will focus on actual criminal activities such as fraud and terrorism financing.The memorandum emphasizes the protection of the rights of legitimate blockchain users and businesses, supports fair access to banking services, and reduces enforcement actions against cryptocurrency trading platforms and mixing services. This move may signal the Trump administration's further easing of restrictions on the cryptocurrency industry, injecting new vitality into its development.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jinshi reports, the WeChat Security Center has issued a notice stating that it has recently received user complaints about criminals luring users to third-party platforms under the guise of "high-yield investment," "guaranteed profits," "insider information," and other claims, falsely claiming to provide services such as stock recommendations, virtual currency trading, and foreign exchange investments. In reality, they implement scams through means such as fabricating data, manipulating price fluctuations, and shutting down platforms.The WeChat team will continue to strengthen the crackdown on fraudulent investment and financial management activities. For the aforementioned illegal behaviors, after verification and confirmation, we will impose tiered penalties on the relevant accounts based on the severity of the violations.The WeChat Security Center reminds users that investment carries risks, and any investment project claiming "capital protection with high returns" or "low-risk high profits" is suspected of fraud. Please do not trust financial recommendations from unofficial channels, and do not transfer money to unfamiliar accounts or disclose personal financial information.

ChainCatcher news, according to Protos, PORK and PNDC founder Jeremy Cahen (X account @Pauly0x) has been placed on the local top ten wanted list by the San Juan police in Puerto Rico for alleged assault. However, as of Thursday evening, the police have removed him from the list, which may indicate that he has been arrested, charges have been dropped, or he has fallen out of the top ten.It is reported that Jeremy Cahen created the Pepecoin (PEPE) fork token PORK, which once had a market value of up to $250 million, as well as the Uniswap fork token PNDC, which reached a market value of $100 million.

ChainCatcher news, according to CCTV News, the prosecution has found that in recent years, as the efforts to punish pyramid scheme crimes in accordance with the law have intensified, some criminals have shifted their pyramid schemes from offline to online to evade regulation and crackdown. From January to September 2024, national procuratorial organs prosecuted 4,627 people for organizing and leading pyramid scheme activities. Lawbreakers have exploited the virtuality and convenience of the internet to concoct various "get-rich-quick scams" that are difficult to distinguish between true and false, luring the public to participate.Some have engaged in online pyramid schemes by leveraging new concepts and social hotspots such as virtual currency, blockchain, financial innovation, and charitable mutual assistance. For example, in the case involving Sheng and others, they fabricated a "Google Coin" blockchain project purportedly from Google, publicly promoting and hyping it through online media, and soliciting purchases of "Google Coin" using ETH (Ethereum) as the settlement currency, ultimately developing over 60,000 members and illegally profiting more than 20 million yuan.The procuratorial organs remind the public to stay vigilant, not to believe in "get-rich-quick" schemes, not to be greedy for "small profits," and to consciously resist the temptation of seemingly easily obtainable "high returns," in order to avoid falling into the "trap" of online pyramid schemes.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, Uniswap previously announced that the Unichain mainnet is scheduled to launch later this year, and some criminals are taking the opportunity to promote fake websites for scams on the Google advertising platform.The blockchain analysis platform Scam Sniffer reports that scammers have meticulously created a counterfeit website that closely resembles the official Unichain website and have placed it at the top of search results by purchasing Google ads. Although the ad displays the real Unichain website URL, clicking on it redirects users to the fake website. Once users connect their wallets, the site will continuously send transaction requests, intending to deplete the cryptocurrency assets in the users' wallets.

ChainCatcher news reports that, according to an announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. government has seized over $6 million in cryptocurrency from overseas criminals, which is suspected to be linked to a cryptocurrency trust investment scam. The perpetrators of this scam lured U.S. citizens into transferring cryptocurrency through a fraudulent investment platform, ultimately funneling the funds into wallet addresses controlled by criminals. The FBI tracked the victims' funds through blockchain and identified multiple wallet addresses that still hold the victims' funds. This case is being investigated by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the FBI's Knoxville field office.FBI Assistant Director of the Criminal Investigation Division Chad Yarbrough issued a statement regarding the cryptocurrency seizure case. Yarbrough stated that such scams are destroying countless American lives every day, with many victims even mortgaging their properties multiple times in search of "the next big investment opportunity," resulting in significant losses.

ChainCatcher news, Russian cybercriminal Deniss Zolotarjovs has been charged in the United States with participating in a cybercrime organization that extorts victims and launders cryptocurrency.The 33-year-old resident of Moscow was indicted in Cincinnati, Ohio, on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, wire fraud, and extortion under the Hobbs Act. Zolotarjovs was arrested in Georgia in December 2023 and has recently been extradited to the United States. He is accused of being a key member of a cybercrime group that steals sensitive data from victims and demands ransom payments in cryptocurrency to prevent the release of the stolen information. The organization also operates a website that leaks or auctions stolen data.It is alleged that Zolotarjovs was involved in laundering the ransom payments. This is the first time a member of the organization has been extradited to the United States.

ChainCatcher message, Kaspersky has detected a cyber fraud activity aimed at exploiting popular topics such as web3, cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, and online gaming to steal cryptocurrency and sensitive information. It is reported that this activity is orchestrated by Russian-speaking cybercriminals, and Kaspersky has named the cybercriminals behind this operation "Tusk." They have created fake websites that mimic legitimate services, involving imitation of cryptocurrency platforms, online role-playing games, and AI translation websites to obtain sensitive information such as credentials, while clipboard managers monitor clipboard data to replace copied cryptocurrency wallet addresses with malicious ones.

ChainCatcher News: The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced yesterday the seizure of nearly $5 million in Tether (USDT) related to a "pig butchering" cryptocurrency investment fraud money laundering case.Prosecutor Michael Easley stated that they are working hard to recover the funds lost by the victims. In the case, criminals lured victims into investing through fake romantic relationships and counterfeit trading platforms. The FBI successfully tracked and seized part of the funds.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bitcoin.com, the Superintendencia de Banca, Seguros y AFP (SBS) of Peru has issued a resolution requiring virtual asset service providers (VASP) to implement KYC and anti-money laundering (AML) measures as part of their compliance programs. This resolution aligns with FATF recommendations aimed at controlling and preventing criminals from using these platforms for illegal purposes.The resolution stipulates that VASPs operating within Peru must appoint a compliance officer and implement a system for anti-money laundering (AML) and terrorism financing (TF) measures. Additionally, Peruvian exchanges are now required to adopt effective "KYC" policies and establish due diligence steps to achieve this.Furthermore, the new rules also state that VASPs must obtain identity and additional data from users participating in transactions over $1,000, effectively compelling these providers to implement travel rule compliance, as "all transfers of virtual assets must be considered electronic transfers."

ChainCatcher news, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (Democrat) from New Jersey was found guilty by a jury on Tuesday of accepting bribes, including gold bars and luxury cars, in exchange for his political influence. It is reported that Menendez is a staunch critic of cryptocurrency, having claimed that Bitcoin is the ideal choice for criminals.Menendez is also a co-sponsor of the "Accountability for Cryptocurrency in El Salvador (ACES) Act," which requires the U.S. State Department to report on the risks to the U.S. financial system posed by El Salvador's adoption of Bitcoin as legal tender.

ChainCatcher news, according to a recent investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and the Miami Herald, cryptocurrency ATMs designed to facilitate the conversion of cash into cryptocurrency are increasingly being exploited by scammers.The OCCRP report indicates that many of these fraudulent activities are linked to international crime networks from countries with weak regulatory frameworks. One of the main issues leading to the increase in crypto ATM scams is the inconsistent regulatory environment between different states. While federal law requires crypto ATM operators to register with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and comply with anti-money laundering (AML) standards, state-level regulations vary widely. Some states have strict requirements, while others, like Illinois, do not classify cryptocurrency as money, thereby limiting regulatory oversight.

ChainCatcher news, according to a report by Decrypt, a new report from the EU indicates that Bitcoin's Lightning Network and other L2 solutions are "data obfuscation" technologies that could be "misused by criminals."The report states that the Lightning Network's "peer-to-peer multi-signature payment channels do not broadcast all transactions to the blockchain, but only broadcast the opening and closing of the channels," adding that it and other L2 solutions may pose "challenges for law enforcement investigations."

ChainCatcher message, recently KuCoin issued a statement reminding users to pay attention to the fraudulent activities of criminals who have forged the KuCoin platform, as disclosed by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). The counterfeit platform claims to be regulated by the HKMA and issues documents in the name of the HKMA, demanding users to pay fees to retrieve frozen account funds (for more details, please refer to the HKMA news). KuCoin reminds users to recognize the only official website of KuCoin www.kucoin.com.At the same time, KuCoin will not send documents under the name of any country/region's regulation, as this is illegal and contrary to KuCoin's operational values. KuCoin also urges users to remain vigilant and to promptly contact the customer service team if any suspicious behavior is detected.

Chain Catcher news, the online analysis company Elliptic released the "2022 Cross-Chain Crime Report," which shows that since 2020, cybercriminals have transferred nearly $4 billion related to illegal activities using decentralized exchanges (DEX), cross-chain bridges, and non-KYC exchange services (token swaps).It is reported that decentralized exchanges, cross-chain bridges, and non-KYC exchange services facilitated illegal proceeds of $1.2 billion, $750 million, and $1.2 billion, respectively. (Source link)