FBI Warns Crypto Owners Not to Fall for ‘Liquidity Mining Scam’

FBI Warns Crypto Owners Not to Fall for "Liquidity Mining Scam"

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has warned crypto investors about a scam using an investment strategy called liquidity mining. “This scam has been responsible for over $70 million in combined victim losses,” said the law enforcement agency. FBI Warns of Crypto Liquidity Mining Scam

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued an investor alert Thursday warning crypto owners of a scam targeting them. The law enforcement agency announced: The FBI is issuing this public service announcement to warn American citizens about a cryptocurrency scam using an investment strategy called Liquidity Mining in which scammers exploit owners of cryptocurrency, typically tether (USDT) and/or ethereum (ETH).

“Liquidity mining is an investment strategy used to earn passive income with cryptocurrency,” the FBI explained. “In legitimate liquidity mining operations, investors stake their cryptocurrency in a liquidity pool to provide traders with the liquidity necessary to conduct transactions. In return, the investor receives a portion of the trading fees.”

Claiming to use this investment strategy, “Scammers convince victims to link their cryptocurrency wallets to fraudulent liquidity mining applications. Scammers then wipe out the victims’ funds without notification or permission from the victim,” the FBI cautioned.

“Scammers approach potential victims through an unsolicited direct message (DM) on social media, dating applications, or messaging services such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, Whatsapp, etc.,” the announcement adds.

Victims of a liquidity mining scam move cryptocurrency from their wallets to the liquidity mining platform, the FBI detailed. After investing, they often see the purported returns on a falsified dashboard. Believing their investments to be a success, they purchase additional cryptocurrency. Scammers ultimately move all stored cryptocurrency and investments made to a wallet they control.

The FBI noted: Since January 2019, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and open source, this scam has been responsible for over $70 million in combined victim losses. Tags in this story FBI, fbi crypto warning, fbi cryptocurrency warning, fbi warning, Liquidity mining, liquidity mining scam

What do you think about the liquidity mining scam targeting crypto owners? Let us know in the comments section below. Kevin Helms

A student of Austrian Economics, Kevin found Bitcoin in 2011 and has been an evangelist ever since. His interests lie in Bitcoin security, open-source systems, network effects and the intersection between economics and cryptography. Tesla Reveals Bitcoin Holdings Worth $222 Million in Latest SEC Filing FEATURED | 9 hours ago Cryptocurrencies a "Good Alternative to Traditional Settlement Processes" — Study FEATURED | 22 hours ago

Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons Previous articlePhilippine Central Bank Governor Explains Crypto Policy — ‘I Don’t Want It Banned’ Next articleCoinLoan Upgrades Its Cybersecurity Thanks to Collaboration With Blaze Information Security Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article. Read disclaimerShow comments More Popular NewsIn Case You Missed ItOman to Incorporate Real Estate Tokenization in Virtual Assets Regulatory Framework

Real estate tokenization is set to be incorporated into Oman Capital Markets Authority (OCMA)"s virtual asset regulatory framework. According to an advisor with the authority, the tokenizing of real estate will open investment opportunities for local and foreign investors. Real ... read more.Tony Hawk"s Latest NFTs to Come With Signed Physical Skateboards NFT Sales Volume Saw a Small Uptick This Week — Moonbirds, Mutant Apes Take Top Sales UAE Airliner Emirates to Launch NFTs and Experiences in the Metaverse Terra"s Algorithmic Dollar-Pegged Crypto UST Is Now the Third-Largest Stablecoin