From CoinTelegraph
May 17, 2025 03:03:00 AM:

A man from Wellington, New Zealand, was arrested in connection with a global cryptocurrency fraud operation that allegedly stole $450 million New Zealand dollars. He is one of 13 individuals charged after search warrants were executed in Auckland, Wellington, and California. The charges involve manipulating seven victims to obtain cryptocurrency and laundering it between March and August 2024.

The man faces federal charges, including racketeering, wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy. Stolen funds were used to buy luxury vehicles worth $9 million, designer items, nightclub access, and more in Los Angeles, Miami, and the Hamptons. The accused appeared in court and was granted bail, with the investigation ongoing.

Crypto thefts surged to $360 million in April 2025, with 18 hacking incidents reported. This marks a 990% increase from March, mainly due to a single unauthorized Bitcoin transfer. In a separate incident, an elderly US victim lost $330 million in a social engineering attack. Blockchain security firm PeckShield provided the data on the rise in digital asset thefts.

Read more at Cointelegraph: New Zealand man arrested in $265M crypto scam tied to FBI probe