Crypto crime this week: Aug 17–23, 2026

10 stories this week · most active: Scams & Consumer Fraud (3), Hacks & Exploits (2), Regulatory Enforcement (1) · 1 official releases

Official actions

SEC Proposes New Regulation Crypto AssetsSEC Press Releases · Aug 18Official release

Scams & Consumer Fraud 3 stories

Georgia man deported from Fiji to face $165m crypto Ponzi scheme chargesThe Guardian · Aug 18
Cybersecurity firm unveils crypto phishing campaign targeting 885,000 phone numbersCointelegraph · Aug 20
PurpleDelta's Fraudulent Employment OperationsRecorded Future Research · Aug 18

Hacks & Exploits 2 stories

Coldcard strengthens seed generation with firmware updateCointelegraph · Aug 21
Harmony plans rollback, wiping 109,000 transactions after ONE exploitCointelegraph · Aug 17

Revoke, document, report, freeze, trace: the emergency playbook for the hours right after a drain.

If this happened to youHow to Report Crypto Theft to the FBI: A Complete IC3 Walkthrough

What IC3 is, what to include in your report, and what actually happens after you submit.

If this happened to youCan a Scammer’s Crypto Be Frozen? How Freezes Really Work

Who can freeze stolen crypto (exchanges, Tether, Circle), what they need, and how to give a freeze the best chance.

Regulatory Enforcement 1 stories

Comment of Coin Center to FinCEN and the Agencies on Permitted Payment Stablecoin Issuer Customer Identification ProgramCoin Center · Aug 21

Money Laundering 1 stories

What the A7A5 stablecoin did after Grinex collapsedCrystal Intelligence blog · Aug 21

Sanctions & Illicit Finance 1 stories

The EU’s Rapid Evolution on Crypto Sanctions, VisualizedKharon The Brief · Aug 20

Stories are selected and ranked automatically from ChainWatch News sources; headlines link to the original publishers. All weekly roundups · Today's news