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Australian Federal Police (AFP) teams up with blockchain firm Chainalysis to disrupt cryptocurrency crime. The Policing Cybercrime Coordination Center (PCCC) shares wallet data, trains officials on tracing stolen funds, and develops real-time scam detection strategies.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is on high alert after a staggering number of cryptocurrency wallets were compromised in a sophisticated phishing attack. According to a statement released on August 5, 2024, cybercriminals exploited at least 2,000 Australian-owned crypto wallets using “approval phishing” tactics.
Operation Spincaster Battles Crypto Phishing Scams
Approval phishing is a cunning scam where fraudsters dupe victims into granting unauthorized access to their crypto wallets. These malicious transactions allow scammers to siphon off the victim’s digital assets into their own wallets, leaving them with significant financial losses.
“The intelligence we have gathered collaboratively throughout Operation Spincaster has shed a clear light on new tactics being used by cybercriminals in their continued efforts to defraud Australians,” stated AFP Detective Superintendent Tim Stainton. “It will form a key part of our ongoing investigations to identify cybercrime victims and disrupt offenders in Australia.”
Operation Spincaster, a collaborative effort between the AFP and blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis, aims to combat these scams through education, preventative tools, and specialized training for law enforcement.
Approval phishing scams often take the form of enticing investment schemes promising unrealistic returns or exploiting emotional manipulation through elaborate online relationships, known as “pig-butchering scams.” The impact of these scams is alarming. Since May 2021, Australians have collectively lost $4 billion to approval phishing attacks.
Chainalysis and the AFP Join Forces
In a major breakthrough, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) has partnered with leading blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis to take down criminal networks operating in the cryptocurrency space. The Policing Cybercrime Coordination Center (PCCC) has shared intelligence on compromised wallets, trained law enforcement officials on tracing stolen funds and developed strategies to identify ongoing scams in real-time.
The PCCC has also equipped law enforcement with the skills to identify victims and provide them with critical support. But the fight against crypto scams doesn’t stop there. Major Australian cryptocurrency exchanges, including BTC Markets, Binance, Crypto.com, Ebonex, Independent Reserve, OKX, SwyftX, and Wayex, are actively implementing safeguards to protect their users from these threats.
Furthermore, in the past year, major Australian banks have taken a proactive stance by imposing restrictions or outright blocking transfers to cryptocurrency exchanges. This move includes the “Big 4” banks (Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, Westpac, and ANZ) as well as Bendigo Bank and, more recently, HSBC.
