FinTelegram Financial Intelligence
My Featured Posts
UNODC Report: Technology-Powered Cybercrime on the Rise in Southeast Asia!
The billion-dollar cyberfraud industry in Southeast Asia is booming, fueled by organized crime syndicates exploiting the latest in AI and cryptocurrency. The UNODC report notes that these criminal networks are outpacing government efforts to regulate and combat their operations. Urgent reforms and enforcement are needed to prevent further damage.
Latest Updates
H
How U.S. Law Enforcement Infiltrated The International Crypto Scene!
In an unprecedented move, the FBI infiltrated the crypto world with its own token, NexFundAI, to crack down on market manipulation. This case marks a significant shift in crypto enforcement, signaling that law enforcement is evolving its tactics to keep pace with the complexities of the digital asset space. As more fraudsters are exposed, the crackdown on wash trades and pump-and-dump schemes is just beginning.
B
Breaking: German Co-Founder of Crypto Fraud Scheme USI Tech On The Run!
USI Tech was one of the first MLM schemes to use cryptocurrencies to defraud its investors. FinTelegram has issued several warnings aginst the scheme. Horst Jicha has now gone fugitive, leaving behind a trail of defrauded investors and evading justice in the $150 million USI Tech fraud case. With Jicha on the run, the case serves as a chilling reminder of the risks in the volatile crypto world.
B
Binance Chief Financial Crime Compliance Officer Denied Bail in Nigerian Case!
Think twice before starting to work for the world's larger crypto exchange. As Binance’s financial crime compliance officer faces money laundering charges in Nigeria, questions mount over the company’s compliance safeguards and the risks involved in its global operations. The denial of bail for Tigran Gambaryan and the ongoing legal battle could have far-reaching implications for the company’s future.
S
Solaris Bleeds Cash and Jobs: Can This High-Risk Fintech Survive, Let Alone IPO?
Solaris, a German fintech and neobank, has a long history of compliance troubles. Moreover, its ongoing financial losses and regulatory woes doubt its long-term profitability, even as it sheds jobs and restructures for survival. A potential IPO, as rumored by the German platform Gründerszene, seems speculative at best in light of its deep-rooted issues with compliance and financial stability.
Payment Processors
S
Starscream Casinos: Offshore Casino Operator, Potential Regulatory Evasion, Payment Facilitators, and More Cyprus Connections!
Online casinos are easily transferable digital assets. The transfer of Gammix Ltd's casinos to offshore operator Starscream Ltd raises serious questions about the continued illegal gambling activities in Europe. Despite massive penalties from the Dutch regulator KSA, Gammix appears to have simply shifted its operations offshore, where it continues to flout regulatory oversight facilitated by regulated payment processors.
C
Cybercrime Alert to Payment Processors: Warning Against Acceptance of Anonymous Domain app-paymentgw.pgws2b.com
The FinTelegram research team has identified a suspicious domain https://app-paymentgw.pgws2b.com currently deployed by several anonymously operated online casinos of Liernin Enterprises, including Malina Casino, Talismania, SlotUna, and others. This domain has been flagged due to its association with activities that potentially violate financial regulations and legal standards for online gambling.
R
Report on Cazimbo Casino: The Role of Payment Processors in Facilitating Illegal Online Casinos!
Another day, another exposed illegal online casino facilitated via Cyprus. Payment processors play a crucial role in sustaining this underground economy. FinTelegram's research repeatedly reveals that without these facilitating payment processors, many illegal online schemes, particularly in the gambling sector, would not thrive. Currently, we are focusing on the brands of the collapsed Rabidi Group that continue to operate anonymously and unauthorized. Here is our report on Cazimbo.
T
The Rabidi Case: The Mysterious Actions of Beneficial Owner Denys Butko and Other Connections
The case of the Rabidi Group is a prime example of the opacity of the online casino sector. Rabidi, once a significant player in the online gambling industry with a Curacao license, has recently come under scrutiny after the group's sudden disappearance following its bankruptcy in June 2023. Following FinTelegram reports, Denys Butko, the alleged beneficial owner recently deleted his LinkedIn profile.
Cybercrime Court Cases
S
SEC Charges Market Manipulators in Crackdown on Crypto Asset Fraud
The U.S. SEC has charged three market makers and nine individuals for manipulating the crypto asset market, generating artificial trading volumes and misleading retail investors. The fraudulent schemes created the illusion of active markets, prompting unsuspecting investors to pour money into manipulated crypto assets. The DOJ filed criminal charges against the scheme operators in a parallel transaction.
Regulatory Updates
B
Breaking: The Binance-Like $3.1 Billion Money Laundering Settlement of TD Bank!
TD Bank, one of North America's largest financial institutions, has been hit with a historic $3.1 billion settlement over money laundering violations. This case represents one of the most significant AML enforcement actions in U.S. history, both in terms of the financial penalties imposed and the severity of the admitted misconduct. Only Binance, with its $4.1 billion settlement, was even larger.
G
Gotbit and Russian Executives Charged by U.S. DOJ and SEC for Crypto Market Manipulation!
Gotbit Consulting LLC, along with its Russian executives, has been charged by the U.S. DOJ and SEC for its role in a widespread market manipulation scheme. By using wash trades, Gotbit inflated crypto asset prices and volumes, deceiving investors and raising millions in illicit profits. The company’s fraudulent activities were executed across multiple jurisdictions, with key figures now facing extradition and prosecution.
U
U.S. DOJ Charges 18 Individuals and Entities in Global Crypto Fraud Crackdown!
The U.S. DOJ has charged 18 individuals and entities in an international operation targeting market manipulation and fraud in the crypto industry. The defendants, including market makers and token promoters, are accused of using wash trading and false trading activity to deceive retail investors and artificially inflate crypto prices. This is the first major criminal case of its kind in the crypto market.
Support Scam Victims
Join the fight against cybercrime!
European Funds Recovery Initiative (EFRI) is a non-government organization with the mission to support scam and cybercrime victims.
