FBI’s crypto warning as India, Australia join global crackdown: ‘Fraud alert!’

• India and Australia were recently in the news due to various crypto scams.
• These scams come on the back of the FBI’s crypto warning, highlighting an urgent need for global crypto reinforcement.

As cryptocurrency gains popularity among investors, institutions, and politicians, scams have surged as well.

Crypto crackdown in India

Recently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), an Indian investigation agency, raided the cities of Leh, Jammu, and Sonipat on the 2nd of August, seizing Rs 1 crore and documents tied to a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme. 

The investigation revealed how unsuspecting individuals in Leh were deceived into investing in a fake cryptocurrency, “Emollient Coin,” with false promises of doubling their money in 10 months.

The scam, led by Naresh Gulia of Sonipat through Emollient Coin Ltd, was promoted across regions.

The ED’s probe, following an FIR by Jammu & Kashmir Police under the PMLA, highlighted ongoing risks in the crypto landscape.

Australia joins the fight

Additionally, on the southern side of the globe, the Australian Federal Police (AFP), in collaboration with blockchain data platform Chainalysis, launched Operation Spincaster. 

This will help combat “approval phishing” crypto scams, which have stolen over $4 billion globally since 2021.

As per reports, the operation identified over 2,000 compromised Australian crypto wallets, with ongoing investigations to prevent further scams.

The AFP stressed the importance of global collaboration in fighting cybercrime.

Remarking on the same, AFP Detective Superintendent Tim Stainton in a press release report said, 

“The intelligence we have gathered collaboratively throughout Operation Spincaster has shed a clear light on new tactics being used by cybercriminals in their continued efforts to defraud Australians.” 

Adding to the fray was, Chainalysis Director of Investigations Phil Larratt  who said, 

“There is still much to do in this relentless fight against scams, but proactive initiatives such as Operation Spincaster, where we bring together key stakeholders across the ecosystem as a collective, are a pivotal step in disrupting the global scam epidemic.” 

FBI’s crypto warning

Amid the recent Bitcoin [BTC] downturn, with prices falling below $53K, the FBI has issued a critical warning about increased scam attempts targeting cryptocurrency users.

Source: FBI Indianapolis/X

This situation underscores the persistent threat of scammers and hackers exploiting market volatility.

During sharp price fluctuations and market instability, users often become anxious and may make impulsive decisions, heightening their susceptibility to fraud and theft.

Crypto enthusiasts remain unaffected

Despite the rise in crypto scams, per a report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) on the 22nd of July, cryptocurrency adoption will continue to grow.

According to the report, the number of crypto users is expected to reach one billion by 2030.

“If we use the number of crypto holders as a proxy for Web3 users and benchmark it against the adoption rate of Internet users in the 1990s, the message is clear: there is plenty of growth to come. While it is difficult to predict if the trendline of crypto adoption continues, the total number of crypto users is likely to reach 1 billion by 2030.”