Cryptocurrency
FBI warns of phishing scams and social media account hijackers
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has warned of criminal actors hijacking social media accounts and posing as legitimate people in the nonfungible token (NFT) and crypto space.
It also raised concerns over spoof websites that dupe victims into thinking they are using legitimate platforms to steal their NFTs or crypto.
The warning comes as the number of victims having their funds drained from these two types of scamming methods continues to grow.
In an Aug. 4 public service announcement, The FBI urged people to be aware of “criminal actors posing as legitimate NFT developers in financial fraud schemes targeting active users within the NFT community.”
“Criminals either gain direct access to NFT developer social media accounts or create almost identical accounts to promote new NFT releases. Fraudulent posts often aim to create a sense of urgency, using phrases like ‘limited supply,’ and refer to the promotion as a ‘surprise’ or previously unannounced mint.”
“Links provided in these announcements are phishing links directing victims to a spoofed website that appears to be a legitimate extension of a particular NFT project,” the FBI added.
Generally, the scam websites prompt people to connect their wallets to claim or purchase NFTs but are instead connected to a drainer smart contract, resulting in a loss of a person’s funds or assets.
However, it can sometimes be more complicated than that. There are some other ways that people can have their funds drained even when not directly choosing to connect their wallet to a suspicious website.
In an Aug. 5 X (formerly Twitter) thread, user StockEd stated that they mistakenly clicked on a spoof LooksRare NFT marketplace website and didn’t connect their hot wallet but still had more than $300,000 worth of NFTs stolen.
Alarmingly, the fake website was promoted at the top of Google’s search results as a paid ad, which has been a long-running issue yet to be solved by Google.
Was just talking with @bax1337 earlier today about how Google Ads phishing scams are out of control. Surprised no one has organized a class action against them. Have easily seen 8 figures stolen from them recently.
— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) August 5, 2023
There was much debate in the comments as to how the victim could have their NFTs drained without connecting their wallet.
Some argued that malware enabling access or control to the victim’s computer was at play, while others suggested the scam website may have had a hidden MetaMask wallet signature link somewhere that was accidentally clicked.
Related: Zero transfer scammer steals $20M USDT, gets blacklisted by Tether
On the same day, Web3 anti-scam platform Scam Sniffer tweeted that someone else had also lost $446,000 worth of Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and Pepe (PEPE) to a phishing link.
Scam Sniffer indicated that the Pink drainer address was behind the phishing hack, while ZachXBT highlighted that it may have happened via two fake airdrop links promoted by Avalanche and QwQiao — two accounts that were hijacked over the previous 24 hours.
These two happened in past 24 hrs pic.twitter.com/KV5Kaxhihf
— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) August 5, 2023
In the FBI’s warning, it outlined a handful of tips for people to protect themselves from these types of scams.
The FBI emphasized that people should research and “vet any opportunity,” such as surprise NFT drops or giveaways, before clicking on links. It also urged people to double-check for any discrepancies in website URLs or account names to avoid falling victim to impersonators.
Magazine: Deposit risk: What do crypto exchanges really do with your money?
Cryptocurrency
World’s Largest Community-Powered Supercomputer Goes Live as KOII Lists on Major Exchanges
[PRESS RELEASE – Halifax, Canada, January 14th, 2025]
Koii Network ($KOII), following a successful mainnet launch and multiple oversubscribed launchpad sales, begins trading on Gate.io and MEXC, bringing the World’s Biggest Supercomputer to the global market.
With over 100,000 active nodes, Koii Network plays a significant role in decentralized infrastructure, efficiently processing 185.1 terabytes of data daily.
Koii Launches on Gate.io with Special Giveaway
Koii Network is marking its exchange debut with a special giveaway in partnership with Gate.io, aiming to make computing infrastructure more accessible. Participants who sign up through the referral link will have the opportunity to share a pool of $50,000 worth of $KOII tokens.
More details are available here: https://www.gate.io/signup?ch=signupKOII
“While others are selling the promise of decentralization, we’ve built and scaled real infrastructure,” says Al Morris, founder of Koii Network. “Our listing today isn’t just about trading – it’s about democratizing ownership of the backbone powering AI’s future.”
Key Network Metrics:
- 100,000+ edge computing nodes
- 185.1 TB daily data processing
- 7 million transactions per day
- Multi-token marketplace live
- AI-ready infrastructure deployed globally
The listing follows a series of heavily oversubscribed token sales through leading launchpads including PAID Network, Spores, and Kommunitas, demonstrating strong market validation for Koii’s infrastructure-first approach.
“What we’re seeing is a natural evolution of the DePIN sector,” notes Morris. “While early projects focused on single utilities like bandwidth sharing, Koii represents the next generation – full computing infrastructure capable of powering everything from AI training to decentralized applications.”
Upcoming Developments for Koii Network
After its January 2nd mainnet launch and following the exchange listings, Koii will activate its cross-chain capabilities through the partnership with Allbridge, enabling seamless token transfers across multiple blockchains.
The network will also introduce KOII token staking, allowing token holders to further participate in securing and growing the world’s largest community-powered computing infrastructure.
Trading Details:
- Token: $KOII
- Trading begins: January 13th, 2024, 11:00 AM UTC
- Initial exchanges: Gate.io and MEXC
- Trading pairs: KOII/USDT
About Koii Network:
Koii Network has transformed 100,000+ computers into the World’s Biggest Supercomputer Powered by People. Already processing more data daily than most blockchain networks handle monthly, Koii makes advanced computing accessible to everyone while ensuring participants are fairly rewarded for their contributions.
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Cryptocurrency
Ripple vs. SEC: Why This Week Could Be a Turning Point in the Lawsuit
TL;DR
- Ripple’s legal battle with the SEC reaches a key moment as the agency must file its opening brief by January 15.
- With Gary Gensler stepping down on January 20, incoming pro-crypto SEC Chair Paul Atkins raises hopes for a favorable resolution, though the case’s complexity tempers expectations.
The Deadline Approaches
The legal tussle between Ripple and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) started in December 2020. Back then, the regulator sued the company, accusing it and some of its executives of illegally raising more than $1.3 billion in an unregistered securities offering by selling XRP.
Despite the numerous rulings and developments in the following years, the lawsuit remains ongoing. Last year, for instance, Judge Analisa Torres ordered Ripple to pay a $125 million civil penalty for violating federal securities laws through its institutional sales of XRP. Prior to that, she found that the company’s programmatic sales of XRP to retail clients through centralized exchanges did not breach the rules.
The firm was ready to pay the fine, which would have officially settled the case. After all, the sum represented just a fraction of the $2 billion the SEC initially asked for. Nonetheless, the watchdog filed a last-minute appeal, and the lawsuit entered a new phase, which consists of filings and a briefing process.
It is worth mentioning that the agency’s petition will be dismissed unless it files an opening brief against Ripple by tomorrow (January 15).
According to some legal experts, the SEC will not miss the deadline. Jeremy Hogan claimed people shouldn’t be surprised if that’s the case since the agency is still spearheaded by Chairman Gary Gensler. The latter is known as a critic of the digital asset industry, with the Commission filing countless lawsuits against crypto businesses during his tenure.
“The SEC will file its brief on January 15 because it has to, but that doesn’t mean the incoming heads of the SEC won’t settle the case. It changes nothing,” he added.
Waiting for the Next Chairman
It is worth mentioning that Gensler has less than a week left at the helm of the securities regulator. He decided to step down on January 20 after Donald Trump promised to fire him on day 1 after assuming office at the White House.
The next leader of the SEC will be Trump’s nominee, Paul Atkins. He has expressed a pro-crypto stance in the past, triggering enthusiasm across the XRP Army.
Some of the optimists expect the Commission’s upcoming leadership to take a less hostile stance toward the cryptocurrency industry and push the case against Ripple to a favorable resolution soon. However, they should have somewhat realistic hopes, considering the complexity of the entire legal process.
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Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin Recovers $7K Following Sub-$90K Price Crash (Market Watch)
Bitcoin’s volatile rollercoaster continued in the past 24 hours as the asset plunged below $90,000 for the first time in months but has jumped by over seven grand since then.
The altcoins are also in recovery mode, with ETH reclaiming $3,200, while DOGE has jumped by over 7% daily.
BTC Bounces Off
The primary cryptocurrency was in a freefall state since last Tuesday, when it peaked above $102,000. Its inability to sustain that level resulted in immediate retracements that pushed it south hard. Within 48 hours alone, it had lost over ten grand, but that was just the start.
After a minor recovery last Friday and during the weekend, bitcoin headed straight south on Monday. This time, the bears were even more persistent, pushing BTC down to under $91,000 for the first time since late November and later to below $90,000.
In fact, that crash took bitcoin down to a multi-month low of $89,200 (on Bitstamp). At this point, the bulls finally reminded of their presence and didn’t allow another breakdown that could have driven BTC to under $85,000.
The cryptocurrency started to recover some ground rather rapidly and jumped to $95,000 earlier today. The bulls kept the pressure on and drove the asset to just under $97,000 as of now.
Its market cap has risen to over $1.910 trillion on CG, while its dominance over the alts stands just shy of 55%.
Alts Turn Green
The altcoins suffered even more during the past several days, but green now dominates the charts. Ethereum was among the poorest performers, dumping to under $3,000 yesterday for the first time in over two months. Now, though, the second-largest cryptocurrency stands close to $3,250.
Even more impressive daily gains come from XRP, SOL, DOGE, ADA, SUI, LINK, HBAR, APT, and AAVE. The case with AAVE is particularly impressive as it has risen by over 11%.
The cumulative market capitalization of all crypto assets has recovered $200 billion in a day and is up to $3.5 trillion on CG.
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