Scammers Stole $14 Billion in Crypto in 2021 — How Investors Can Protect Their Coins

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Cryptocurrency crime had a record-breaking year in 2021, with a new report finding scammers took $14 billion worth of crypto last year. 

That’s nearly twice the $7.8 billion taken by scammers in 2020, according to blockchain data firm Chainalysis’ “2022 Crypto Crime Report,” findings from which were released Thursday, Jan. 6. 

With a boom in cryptocurrency interest over the past year, it’s no wonder that “Olympic-level scammers” have taken notice of new opportunities for illicit activity, says William E. Quigley, a prominent investor and co-founder of the WAX blockchain. The high-tech nature of crypto will continue to attract sophisticated scammers, Quigley said during a panel discussion hosted by blockchain firm Light Node Media last month. 

Consider a recent “Squid Game” scam in which investors allege a new SQUID cryptocurrency token and related immersive online game were actually just an elaborate scam. Investors claim the developers disappeared after the currency skyrocketed in price and seemingly cashed out with more than $3 million.

Before You Invest In Crypto

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