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SHOCKING CRACKDOWN: DOJ STRIKES AT $225 MILLION CRYPTO SCAM!
Unmasking the Pig Butchers: $225 Million in Foul Play!
In a jaw-dropping revelation, the Department of Justice has unleashed a bold request to seize a staggering $225 MILLION from a notorious "pig butchering" scam operation! This absurd scheme involves slick con artists who charm their victims into trusting them, only to con them out of life-altering amounts of cash. The audacious crooks held these funds in USDT stablecoins, and get this — they laundered the money through the infamous crypto exchange OKX! This marks the U.S.’s biggest jackpot of funds related to these crypto confidence crimes!
Scam Compound: A Cryptic Den of Deceit in the Philippines!
While the DOJ hasn’t fingered a specific villain, they did unveil that the ill-gotten gains were connected to a "scam compound" in the Philippines! These dark locations are bursting with workers, grinding in shifts to reel in unsuspecting victims into their crypto traps! It gets worse — many of these hapless souls are coerced into this web of deceit by ruthless transnational crime syndicates!
430 Victims STRANDED in a Web of Deception!
The DOJ has identified over 430 VICTIMS linked to a staggering 144 OKX accounts that siphoned off the cash. Among the crushed souls? None other than Shan Hanes, formerly the CEO of Heartland Tri-State Bank! This unfortunate figure was handed a jaw-dropping 24-YEAR SENTENCE for plundering $47 MILLION from his own bank, all in a desperate bid to invest in what turned out to be a colossal crypto scam!
Crypto Crimes Soar: An Avalanche of Lost Fortunes!
“These schemes destroy American lives, costing them BILLIONS each year!” declared Matthew Galeotti, the head of the DOJ’s criminal division. The horror doesn’t stop there! According to the latest FBI report, losing money to crypto scams has reached a mind-blowing $9.3 BILLION in 2024 — a staggering 66% INCREASE from the prior year! Complaints have doubled, with nearly 150,000 victims crying out for justice!
Extortion and Investment Fraud: The Two Faces of Crypto Crime!
The rampant crime wave includes heart-stopping extortion schemes, where predators manipulate compromising images to lure their victims into sending cash. Then there’s the chilling investment fraud — smooth-talking criminals luring in victims with promises of hefty returns.
Hanes: The ‘Butchered’ Pig in This Gruesome Scam!
Our “fallen” banker, Hanes, epitomizes this tragic tale. As his lawyer put it during sentencing, “He was the pig that was butchered.” This is a stark reminder that even the highest-ups can fall prey to these nefarious schemes. “Mr. Hanes truly regrets the damage he caused to the bank and its stockholders!”
Stay vigilant, folks! The crypto landscape is a treacherous wild west, and the wolves are on the hunt!
photo credit: fortune.com
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