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Apple Security Alert Issued As New Scam Drains Bank Accounts, Steals Personal Info

Apple Security Alert Issued As New Scam Drains Bank Accounts, Steals Personal Info

Security experts are warning millions of Apple users about a new scam designed to extract your sensitive personal and banking information. The scam comes in the form of several fake iCloud text messages containing malicious links, reports Trend Micro. Here’s a look at the fake alerts: CLOUD SERVICE TERMINATION. Upgrade now or lose your stored […]

The post Apple Security Alert Issued As New Scam Drains Bank Accounts, Steals Personal Info appeared first on The Daily Hodl.

Former FTX Boss Sam Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

Crypto firms tout ‘fictitious’ regulatory stamps, Canadian regulator warns

"Fake" regulatory and dispute resolution entities are being used to make some crypto providers look legitimate, warns the Canadian Securities Administrators.

Canadian citizens are being advised to double-check crypto trading service providers, as the platforms may be using “fictitious” regulatory bodies to boost their credibility.

According to a June 20 Investor Alert from the Canadian Securities Administrators, some “purported” crypto platforms are claiming to be approved by certain regulatory authorities or dispute resolution organizations in “an effort to appear legitimate.”

“The websites appear to be credible at first glance, with references to complaint processing, dispute resolution and providing redress to aggrieved investors,” the CSA said in a statement.

One such website even said its “fictitious certification makes it ‘a reliable and trustable online trading platform,’” according to the CSA, adding:

“But upon closer inspection, the websites’ language can be awkward and unpolished, with errors in spelling, grammar or syntax — a common ‘red flag’ of illegitimate entities.”

Some “fictitious” regulatory bodies and organizations, as listed by the CSA, include the Financial Standard Commission FSC Canada, Financial Commission/Finacom PLC Ltd., and its associated entity, Blockchain Association.

The CSA claims none of the listed entities are “known,” while also suggesting any entity claiming to be a member of the organizations is “likely fraudulent.”

Cointelegraph found a list of crypto firms that are touted as members of the “Blockchain Association” on its website — the entity is one of the dispute resolution organizations the CSA accused of being illegitimate.

A purported list of Blockchain Association members with links to their websites. Source: Blockchain Association

Cointelegraph contacted Etheralabs, Gallant Exchange, SmartDec, StormGain, YouHodler and Finacom PLC Ltd., Cointelligence and Asia Blockchain for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

A of certificate of Blockchain Association membership. Source: Gallant Exchange

“Anyone considering using a crypto firm that claims to be certified or a member of a dispute resolution organization should try to independently verify that the referenced organization actually exists,” said the CSA in a statement.

Related: Binance calls it quits in Canada, blames new rules

The regulator also advised that citizens considering investing in crypto should check the firms against those registered with the CSA. There are currently 12 crypto trading platforms authorized to do business in Canada, while there are 11 that have filed pre-registration undertakings.

Though the regulator’s statement does not address this, it should be noted that the crypto firms themselves may be victims of the “fake” certifications, and the listing of certification does not necessarily mean a platform is “fraudulent.”

The full list of regulatory bodies and entities that have been accused of being "fake" by the CSA include:

  • Financial Standard Commission FSC Canada
  • Financial Commission/Finacom PLC Ltd.
  • Blockchain Association
  • European Financial Services and Exchange Commission
  • Crypto Conduct Authority/Crypto Frugal Ltd. (Ireland)
  • Crypto Conduct Authority/Crypto Frugal Ltd. (U.K.)
  • International Regulatory & Brokerage E-markets
  • British Investment Commission/BIC PLC Ltd.
  • International Financial Market Supervisory Authority
  • Crypto Commission Authority/Crypto Commission Ltd.

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Former FTX Boss Sam Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

Scam alert: MetaMask warns users of deceptive March 31 airdrop rumors

MetaMask posted a warning on its Twitter after coming across rumors of an upcoming MetaMask snapshot or airdrop on social media.

Web3 wallet provider MetaMask has warned its users of “false rumors” of a purported MetaMask airdrop, which appears to have been making the rounds on social media. 

According to a March 28 tweet from MetaMask, there have "quite a few rumors going around" of a MetaMask snapshot or airdrop on March 31.

“These rumors are not only false, but they are dangerous. They create opportunities for scammers and phishers,” warned MetaMask.

Cointelegraph has identified a number of Twitter accounts purporting to be related to MetaMask or a MetaMask token airdrop.

A Twitter account claiming to be owned by MetaMask which links to a phishing website

In its Twitter post, MetaMask has denied the rumors of an upcoming airdrop and has urged users to stay vigilant for fake sites in the coming days.

Screenshot from a phishing website claiming to be MetaMask

The recent rumors may be linked to a “fireside chat” session with ConsenSys CEO and Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin at ETHDenver 2023 on March 14, who reiterated his firm is “actively working to decentralize” MetaMask. He later reportedly confirmed that they were intending to launch a token.

Lubin also first hinted at a MetaMask token in a Nov. 8 Tweet from 2021, saying “Wen $MASK? Stay tuned.”

While MetaMask has debunked an imminent airdrop, many of the replies from the community suggest they are still hopeful that an airdrop may still occur, but just at a later date.

Cointelegraph has contacted MetaMask’s parent company ConsenSys for clarification about whether there were plans for a future airdrop but was yet to hear back at the time of publication.

Related: Arbitrum’s ARB token signifies the start of airdrop season — Here are 5 to look out for

Activity on MetaMask nearly tripled on the back of the rumors, with data from DappRadar showing that the number of transactions on March 27 reached 21,460 from a baseline of approximately 8,000.

MetaMask activity from Feb. 27 to March 28. Source: DappRadar.

MetaMask saw a similar flurry of activity due to rumors of an airdrop back in November 2021, following recent airdrops from both the Ethereum Name Service and Lubin’s mention of a token.

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FTX Warns Community of Phony ‘Debt Tokens’ and Scams Claiming to Be Affiliated With the Bankrupt Exchange

FTX Warns Community of Phony ‘Debt Tokens’ and Scams Claiming to Be Affiliated With the Bankrupt ExchangeOn Friday, debtors who control the official FTX Twitter account warned the community to “be on alert for scams from entities claiming to be affiliated with FTX.” They also noted that neither FTX debtors nor any entity related to the company has issued any IOU crypto assets or “debt tokens.” The alert comes as a […]

Former FTX Boss Sam Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

NBA Hall of Famer Paul Pierce Charged by SEC for Touting EMAX Tokens

NBA Hall of Famer Paul Pierce Charged by SEC for Touting EMAX TokensThe U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Basketball Hall of Famer Paul Pierce for touting EMAX tokens and making misleading comments about unregistered crypto securities. The former Boston Celtics small forward agreed to settle the charges and pay the SEC $1.409 million. SEC Chair Gary Gensler Wants to Remind Celebrities of Disclosure Laws […]

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Alameda-Funded Ren Tells Users to ‘Bridge Back to Native Chains’ as It Sunsets 1.0 Platform

Alameda-Funded Ren Tells Users to ‘Bridge Back to Native Chains’ as It Sunsets 1.0 PlatformAccording to the team behind the open protocol Ren, developers are winding down the Ren 1.0 network following the FTX and Alameda Research collapse. Last year, under previous Ren leadership, Alameda acquired Ren and was funding development every quarter. On Dec. 7, 2022, Ren developers warned Ren 1.0 and 2.0 compatibility “cannot be guaranteed” and […]

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Yuga Labs warns of ‘persistent threat group’ targeting NFT holders

The warning comes only days after hackers compromised the website of Premint NFT, making off with more than 300 NFTs and $375,000 of Ethereum.

Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) creator Yuga Labs has warned there may soon be a “coordinated attack” targeting multiple non-fungible token (NFT) communities.

The NFT company told its Twitter followers on July 19 that its security team has been tracking a “persistent threat group” targeting the NFT community through compromised social media accounts, urging followers to be on the lookout.

This isn’t the first time the company has warned its community of a possible social media-led attack by hackers.

Not the first, not the last

In June, Gordon Goner, pseudonymous co-founder of Yuga Labs, issued a warning of a possible incoming attack on its Twitter social media accounts.

Soon after the warning, Twitter officials began monitoring activity on the accounts and fortified their existing security. Goner told investors that the company would never conduct surprise mints, a popular method attackers use to lure victims.

The month also saw two official Discord groups linked to BAYC and OtherSide NFTs were compromised, allowing scammers to share various phishing links into the official BAYC, Mutant Ape Yacht Club, and OtherSide groups on discord.

Cointelegraph asked Yuga Labs for more details about the “persistent threat group” and the potential attack but did not receive an immediate response.

Premint NFT website hacked

Yuga Labs' new warning comes only days after threat actors hacked popular NFT platform Premint NFT, stealing approximately 314 NFTs and $375,000 in Ethereum (ETH), making it one of the largest NFT hacks in 2022.

Premint is an NFT whitelisting service that helps NFT artists access a large number of verified NFT collectors quickly, whitelisting them for new NFT projects. The NFT services platform touts more than 12,000 NFT projects and a database of more than 2.4 million collectors.

According to blockchain security firm Certik, the thefts occurred on Sunday after hackers inserted malicious code into Premint’s website.

The code created a pop-up that prompted users to verify their wallet ownership but instead gave hackers the permissions necessary for them to transfer NFTs from their victim’s wallets.

Related: NFT, DeFi and crypto hacks abound — Here’s how to double up on wallet security

Six wallets have been identified as falling victim to the attack, containing NFTs, including Bored Ape Yacht Club, Otherside, Oddities, and Goblintown.

Premint said it would continue to “dig into the incident” and reminded users that they would never be asked to sign any kind of transaction on the platform.

The platform has also changed in light of the attack, allowing users to log in without their wallets — which they claim will be safer and more convenient.

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Bank of Kyrgyzstan Issues Warning About Cryptocurrencies, Crypto Payments

Bank of Kyrgyzstan Issues Warning About Cryptocurrencies, Crypto PaymentsAmid the growing popularity of cryptocurrencies in Kyrgyzstan, the country’s central bank has reminded citizens about the risks associated with the digital assets. The monetary authority also warned that crypto payments are illegal in the Kyrgyz Republic. National Bank of Kyrgyzstan Urges Caution With Cryptocurrency Cryptocurrencies and other virtual assets are increasingly spreading in Kyrgyzstan, […]

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Spanish Securities Regulator Warns of Impersonators Selling Bitcoin on Its Behalf

Spanish Securities Regulator Warns of Impersonators Selling Bitcoin on Its BehalfThe CNMV, the Spanish securities regulator, has issued a warning about the existence of an unknown party asking for information and offering to sell bitcoin on its behalf. The fraudsters are said to perform the scam attempt via phone calls, where they ask for personal information and offer the benefit of purchasing bitcoins said to […]

Former FTX Boss Sam Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison