Crypto

Global financial fraud cost an estimated $442 billion in 2025 and is set to worsen over the next three to five years as artificial intelligence lowers barriers for criminals and scam-center operations spread far beyond Asia, according to INTERPOL’s latest global threat assessment. 

North Korean IT operatives are increasingly using artificial intelligence tools to pose as remote workers, win jobs, and draw salaries from European companies, the Financial Times reported, citing cyber security experts who said the threat is spreading beyond the United States.

Binance internal investigators identified VIP accounts they said helped channel more than $1 billion to wallets tied to Iran-linked entities, including one account registered to a 79-year-old Chinese resident and another linked to a suspected Iranian gold smuggler.

Tether is accelerating its push into the United States, betting that political support in Washington, deep Treasury holdings, and a growing investment portfolio will cement its place in mainstream finance.

The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday announced two new sanctions actions targeting financing and revenue-generation networks tied to Hamas and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

HSBC and a joint venture led by Standard Chartered are expected to be among the first companies to receive Hong Kong stablecoin licenses within two weeks, marking a milestone in the city’s effort to regulate the sector and strengthen its position as a global digital asset hub.

Once celebrated as a philanthropist and real estate magnate, Cambodian tycoon Chen Zhi built a web of political influence and banking relationships that helped shield what authorities now describe as a vast transnational scam and gambling syndicate.

Gaps in the international oversight of offshore virtual-asset firms have made it possible for criminals to commit large-scale fraud, money laundering, and terrorism financing beyond the reach of most supervisory bodies, according to FATF.

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating Iran’s use of Binance to evade U.S. sanctions, according to new reporting by The Wall Street Journal. 

Cambodia’s crackdown on cyber scam compounds has disrupted operations in Phnom Penh and elsewhere, but the multibillion-dollar industry is already showing signs of revival.