Tackling Crypto Scams: A Global Fight Against Pig Butchering
Chainalysis | Erin West joins the Public Key Podcast to discuss traveling to Southeast Asian scam compounds and investigating the transnational criminal organizations stealing the life savings of hard-working people.
Meta Earns Billions on Scams and Fraud
Reuters Special Report | Meta platforms display 15 billion scam ads a day. In fact, Meta projected that 10% of its 2024 revenue would come from ads for scams and banned goods.
Congress finally has a blueprint to stop China’s online scams
The Hill | Fraud experts outline the significance of the DOJ indictment of Chen Zhi and what must be done to fight industrialized scamming run by organized crime.
Cambodia Site Tied to $15B Crypto Scam Seizure
ABC7 | Operation Shamrock’s Erin West describes her visit to the site of a scam compound implicated in the DOJ’s $15B seizure from a cyber fraud operation.
Perspective on DOJ Indictment of Scam Compound Leader
NBC Bay Area | The Department of Justice has indicted the leader of a sophisticated crime network for operating scam compounds in Myanmar.
Global scam attempts grew 65% over the past year
Security Brief Australia | Scam attempts have risen 65% globally over the past year, according to BioCatch. GASA estimates that consumers lose $1.03 trillion to scams annually.
Myanmar scam centres booming despite crackdown, using Musk’s Starlink
The New Indian Express (AFP) | Despite a crackdown that was supposed to shut down Myanmar scam centers, they’re growing — and Starlink’s presence in the compounds has increased.
Dad lured to Bitcoin ATM by scammer claiming to be son
ABC7 - KGO | The voice on the phone sounded like his son. He’d been arrested. An attorney directed him to pay a $15,000 bail at a nearby Bitcoin ATM. But it was a scam.
The Secrets of Scam Farms
1A — WAMU NPR | Where do scam texts and calls come from? Who sends them? The sender is likely trapped in a scam compound and being forced to commit fraud.
Scammers spoof FBI website for cybercrime complaints
KHOU | The FBI is warning about fake websites designed to mimic the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The sites are designed to trick people into entering personal and banking details.
The scooter-sharing scam that fleeced millions of dollars from Americans
NBC News | It seemed simple: Invest a small amount in a high-tech scooter-sharing company. Use the app to see your profits rise as people rent scooters. But it was a scam.
Grandparents lost $5 million in scams — now, 13 people face charges
KHOU-11 | Thirteen people have been charged in an elder fraud scheme targeting more than 400 seniors through fake “grandparent” calls from the Dominican Republic.
Woman Warns SIM Swap Scams Can Drain Your Bank Account in Minutes
CubaHeadlines | Using a “SIM swap,” scammers impersonated the victim, transferred her phone number and data to a new phone, and stole over $17,000 in less than a day.
How One Prosecutor Is Cracking a $3B ‘Pig-Butchering’ Empire
Whale Hunting | Trafficked workers in Southeast-Asian compounds run crypto scams to siphon billions. Operation Shamrock is prying open the ‘pig-butchering’ machine — and fighting to free victims.
‘I panicked': Woman is warning others after SIM swap scam
NBC6 South Florida | The scam begins when someone fraudulently takes over your cell phone account. And it takes scammers only minutes to drain your bank accounts.
Detective sends warning about crypto machines
WCSC Live 5 News | Crypto ATM kiosks allow people to put cash into the machine and receive some kind of cryptocurrency. But they’re used for fraud 99.5% of the time.
See Where Scam Texts, Calls, and Emails Come From
NBC Bay Area | Fenced towers are home to both scams and modern day slavery, advocates say.
This Is Not Keanu: Inside Celebrity Impersonation Bitcoin Scam
The Hollywood Reporter | Victims think they’re talking to Keanu Reeves. Or Kevin Costner. Then come pleas for cash. The AI-fueled con that fleeces fans and has Hollywood fighting back.