Episode Details

In this episode of pplpod, we explore the illicit underbelly of digital assets, where investment fraud and hacks resulted in billions of dollars in losses in 2024 alone. We break down the evolution of crypto crime, ranging from the early days of the Silk Road to the rise of "pig butchering" romance scams and high-profile Ponzi schemes like OneCoin and BitConnect.

Join us as we analyze the mechanics behind the industry's biggest threats, including:

• The Heists: How state-backed hackers, such as North Korea's Lazarus Group, and other cybercriminals exploited exchanges and blockchain bridges to steal billions.

• The Cons: The prevalence of "rug pulls" in Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) and giveaway scams impersonating figures like Elon Musk.

• The Malware: The threats of ransomware, which extorted over $800 million in 2024, and "cryptojacking," where devices are hijacked to mine coins without consent.

Finally, we discuss how global law enforcement is fighting back using blockchain tracing to seize assets and enforcing new anti-money laundering regulations on NFTs and virtual service providers.