Crime

Crime

US Marshals to Auction 50,000 Bitcoins in March

The US Marshals will auction $11.85m in bitcoins in connection with a civil forfeiture action against and the criminal conviction of Ross Ulbricht.

Policy & regulation  ·  18 February 2015
Bitcoin

Two Dutch Bitcoin ATMs Missing, Assumed Stolen

Two bitcoin ATMs have been stolen from restaurants in Amsterdam, according to reports.

Policy & regulation  ·  18 February 2015
Crime

BTER Claims $1.75 Million in Bitcoin Stolen in Cold Wallet Hack

China-based digital currency exchange BTER announced that it suffered a hack on its cold wallets, resulting in the loss of roughly $1.75m in bitcoin.

Policy & regulation  ·  15 February 2015
Exchanges

MyCoin Customers Report $8.1 Million in Losses to Hong Kong Police

Hong Kong lawmakers are urging the government to impose a ban on bitcoin after more than 25 victims in a MyCoin fraud case approached police.

Policy & regulation  ·  11 February 2015
Regulation

Hong Kong Central Bank Warns Against Bitcoin Following Alleged Scam

Members of the public should exercise extra caution when considering an investment in bitcoin because of the digital currency’s “highly speculative” nature, Hong Kong’s central bank has said. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority issued a statement in the wake of reports that a bitcoin exchange and investment scheme called MyCoin had disappeared with an estimated $386.9m […]

Policy & regulation  ·  10 February 2015
Crime

$25,000 in Bitcoin Seized from Alleged Software Scam Operator

Roughly $26,000 in bitcoins and litecoins have been seized as part of an investigation into an alleged software scam.

Policy & regulation  ·  9 February 2015
Exchanges

Hong Kong’s MyCoin Disappears With Up To $387 Million, Reports Claim

Hong Kong bitcoin exchange MyCoin has shut its doors, taking with it as much as HK$3bn ($386.9m) in investor funds, reports say.

Policy & regulation  ·  9 February 2015
Crime

Students Build Database to Fight Bitcoin Fraud

A team of students and staff from an Irish University is building a bitcoin 'credit check' database to make the digital currency more transparent.

Policy & regulation  ·  5 February 2015
Crime

Ross Ulbricht Found Guilty of Operating Silk Road Dark Market

A jury in New York ruled Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht guilty on all charges including money laundering, drug trafficking and computer hacking.

Policy & regulation  ·  4 February 2015
Crime

Research: Over $11 Million Lost in Bitcoin Scams Since 2011

At least $11m has gone to fraudsters running bitcoin scams in the last four years, university researchers have found.

Policy & regulation  ·  29 January 2015
Crime

Researcher Suggests ISIS is Fundraising with Bitcoin

New research from Singapore-based web intelligence firm S2T suggests Islamic State (ISIS) could be using bitcoin for fundraising. Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz has reported that S2T analyst Ido Wulkan managed to find concrete evidence linking an ISIS cell based in the US to fundraising activities. The cell apparently used the dark web and bitcoin to cover its tracks. […]

Policy & regulation  ·  29 January 2015
Exchanges

LocalBitcoins User Funds Stolen After Chat Client Hack

P2P marketplace LocalBitcoins has experienced a hack on its chat client, resulting in the distribution of malware and loss of customer funds.

Policy & regulation  ·  29 January 2015
Exchanges

Manhattan DA: We’re Watching Regulated Exchanges With ‘Immense Interest’

Manhattan district attorney Cyrus R Vance Jr has issued new remarks regarding his agency's interests in the bitcoin exchange space.

Policy & regulation  ·  28 January 2015
New York

Over 70 Bitcoin Scams Shut Down By New York Law Enforcement

The New York County District Attorney's Office has shut down more than 70 allegedly fraudulent bitcoin investment sites.

Policy & regulation  ·  27 January 2015
Crime

Bitcoin Ransomware Now Spreading via Spam Campaigns

Security firms McAfee and Symantec have issued warnings on CTB-Locker – bitcoin-demanding ransomware that is now being propagated via spam.

Policy & regulation  ·  26 January 2015