Episode Details

In this interview, Carmel King, Partner and Head of Digital Assets at Grant Thornton, discusses the evolving landscape of digital assets, the risks of fraud and scams, and the importance of regulation and swift action. She shares expert insights on how law enforcement and private sector can combat digital asset fraud, the impact of AI, and practical advice for victims.

Major trauma, bankruptcy and in some cases even suicide can be the devastating consequences of people who lost a lot by fatally engaging with that one person or organisation who unfortunately did not turn out to be who they claimed to be leaving you with a trail of destruction and disbelief. 

It is our sincere hope that this Episode educates you but also empowers you to speak up if you ever were the victim of a scam. 

Hoping that your voice forever lifts the blame from the victim and places it on the perpetrator, allowing you to get rid of  unnecessary feelings of guilt from you whilst at the same time helps others to fall into the same potential trap.

You can read more about Carmel and how she can help others here: https://www.grantthornton.co.uk/people/carmel-king/

If you believe you are based in the UK and are the victim of a cyber crime you can report it to the police here: https://www.reportfraud.police.uk

We discuss:

• Why we should stop calling it “crypto fraud”
• The global industrialization of scam operations
• Why victims are not naïve — and shame must shift to perpetrators
• The legal reality of asset tracing and civil recovery
• The role of social media platforms in prevention
• How blockchain technology is unfairly stigmatized
• Why governance and regulation are critical for long-term legitimacy
• The future of financial transparency under new reporting frameworks
• Why blockchain innovation extends far beyond speculation

Carmel also shares practical advice:
If something feels too good to be true — pause. Think. Act quickly if something goes wrong.

 Recommended Reading

• Tracers in the Dark by Andy Greenberg
• Cryptoasset Tracing by Nick Furneaux
• There’s No Such Thing as a Crypto Fraud by Nick Furneaux

Keywords

Digital Assets, Crypto Fraud, Cybersecurity, Regulation, Asset Recovery, AI Fraud, Cryptocurrency Scams, International Cooperation, Blockchain Analytics, Financial Crime

Key Topics

Digital asset security and fraud

Legal and law enforcement strategies for asset recovery

Impact of AI on digital scams

This episode was brought together by AlphaWire: https://alphawire.xyz/