Two years post-JPEX + London mayor hopeful launches token + Tinder Swindler arrested
Scamurai weekly newsletter #10. Sept. 19, 2025.
- Scamurai -
Weekly newsletter #10. Sept. 19, 2025.
// Headlines
A UK politician is taking a leaf out of Trump’s playbook and launching his own crypto project. Ant Middleton, the former TV presenter and aspiring London Mayor for Reform, unveiled his $ANT token on Sept. 15. On X, Middleton promised that holders of 1 million coins will get exclusive chat access with him and his team. “For too long, politics has been controlled by those with the deepest pockets, leaving ordinary voices drowned out by the power of wealth. But with the rise of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, that balance can shift,” he claimed. Funds for his political campaign will come from a trade tax on the token. Supporters, he claims, will be able to track exactly how much is raised, where it comes from and how it’s spent, with the aim of building “integrity, honesty, fairness, and a complete sense of community”.
OpenAI will introduce new safety measures for teenagers using ChatGPT. In a Sept. 16 blog post, CEO Sam Altman said the company is trying to balance privacy and freedom with protecting young users, following lawsuits alleging the chatbot played a role in the suicides of teenagers who engaged with it. Altman wrote that OpenAI is developing an age-prediction system to estimate a user’s age based on behaviour. “If there is doubt, we’ll play it safe and default to the under-18 experience. In some cases or countries we may also ask for an ID; we know this is a privacy compromise for adults but believe it is a worthy tradeoff,” he said. The teen version of ChatGPT will block flirtatious exchanges and any discussion of suicide or self-harm, even in creative writing. If a minor expresses suicidal thoughts, Altman said OpenAI would attempt to contact their parents, and if that fails, notify authorities in cases of imminent danger. U.S. nonprofit Common Sense Media reported in July that nearly three-quarters of teens aged 13–17 have used AI companions, with about a third turning to them for emotional support, role-play, or romantic interaction. Many teens, the group found, described conversations with AI as equally or more satisfying than those with real friends.
Tinder Swindler con artist Simon Leviev, born Shimon Yehuda Hayut, has been arrested in Batumi, Georgia. The Israeli, made infamous by a 2022 Netflix documentary about his romance scams, was detained at the airport at Interpol’s request, the country’s interior ministry said Monday. Leviev previously served five months of a 15-month prison sentence in Israel in 2019 after being convicted on four fraud charges unrelated to the romance scams in the Netflix show. The reason for his latest arrest has not been disclosed. Earlier this year, he also launched a meme token.
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// Two years, 80 arrests and no charges later, JPEX victims are still looking for answers.
By Callan Quinn
The second anniversary of the JPEX crypto scandal slipped by last week without notice, even as thousands of victims wait for answers in what local media once described as the “biggest financial fraud in Hong Kong’s history”.
With 2,636 victims defrauded of HK$1.6 billion (US$204 million), the scandal erupted just as Hong Kong was pushing to become a global crypto hub, causing a major embarrassment for the city and forcing regulators to rethink how they warned the public about unlicensed exchanges.
The Hong Kong Police Force told Scamurai it has arrested 80 people since JPEX collapsed in September 2023, the same number it reported in March. “Active investigation for prosecution is ongoing,” a spokesperson added.
Yet despite all the arrests, despite police supposedly finding suspects destroying documents in a bathtub of bleach, despite two Interpol red notices and despite a civil court case finding in favour of two victims, not a single charge has been filed to date. The owners of JPEX and its inner workings remain a mystery.
Read more:
// Scam sheet
British libel law firm Carter-Ruck’s legal troubles for representing OneCoin continue. The UK’s Solicitors Regulation Authority is prosecuting partner Claire Gill for improper litigation threats after the firm threatened OneCoin whistleblowers with legal action for speaking out against the company at its height. OneCoin stole $4 billion from investors and its founder, Ruja Ignatova, is one the FBI’s ten most wanted list. On Sept. 18 the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal ruled Carter-Ruck was instructed “in furtherance of fraud” by OneCoin.
A Taiwanese group is backing a lawsuit against Meta on behalf of eight people scammed by ads on Facebook. The Taiwan Civic Anti-Fraud Association said it will help fund the case, which accuses Meta of violating the Fraud Crime Hazard Prevention Act, the Fair Trade Act, the Consumer Protection Act, and the Civil Code. The plaintiffs are seeking NT$11.67 million (US$386,000) in damages — about 20% of the NT$58.37 million they collectively lost. The fraudulent ads allegedly used the names of prominent Taiwanese business leaders and major companies to lure victims into fake investments.
Scam awareness may be growing but the stigma around it still deters victims from speaking out. A study from the Commonwealth Bank of Australia found only 8% of Aussies would feel comfortable discussing having been scammed with their family. Six out of 10 are more concerned about scams than they were a year ago, while a third of under-60s say they are very confident they would be able to spot a scam.
Scammers are targeting small businesses and threatening them with fake reviews if they don’t pay up, according to an investigation from The New York Times. Business owners have reported receiving WhatsApp messages from Bangladeshi and Pakistani numbers claiming they have been ordered to post negative reviews and then ask for hundreds of dollars not to do so. In cases where people paid up, they then received more threats. Before they were removed, one business owner saw her Google rating tank from 5 to 3.6. Common targets include moving, roofing, cleaning and repair services.
// Hacks & dark markets
Conor Fitzpatrick, known online as “Pompompurin,” has been resentenced to three years in prison for creating and operating BreachForums, a marketplace for stolen data. He was initially sentenced to just 17 days of time served but faced a harsher penalty after a government appeal in January. Fitzpatrick also pleaded guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and agreed to forfeit more than 100 domain names, over a dozen electronic devices, and cryptocurrency tied to the scheme. Launched in 2022 as a replacement for the shuttered RaidForums, BreachForums quickly became a hub for trading stolen databases. According to the DOJ, it offered at least 888 datasets containing more than 14 billion records of personal information, including bank account details, Social Security numbers, login credentials and sensitive data from telecom, social media, healthcare and investment companies.
Beijing is cracking down on delays in network operators reporting serious cyber incidents. From Nov. 1, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) will require those providing network services to report serious incidents within an hour. Particularly major breaches — such as those involving national security, a leak of more than 100 million personal records or direct losses of over RMB100 million (US$14 million) — within 30 minutes. This contrasts with the requirement to report within 72 hours in the EU.
Schools that have been cyber hacked don’t have to look too far for the perpetrators in many cases, found a report from the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office. Over half of insider attacks against schools are committed by students.
OFAC has sanctioned two Iranians and more than a dozen shell companies in the UAE and Hong Kong tied to shadow banking networks facilitating oil sales and cryptocurrency transactions for the Iranian government. The two individuals, Alireza Derakhshan and Arash Estaki Alivand, stand accused of moving over $100 million in crypto since 2023.
Two teenagers have been charged in connection with a cyberattack on Transport for London, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Sept. 18. Thalha Jubair, 19, from East London, and Owen Flowers, 18, from Walsall in the West Midlands, were arrested on Sept. 16. They are suspected members of the hacking group Scattered Spider. “This attack caused significant disruption and millions in losses to TfL, part of the UK’s critical national infrastructure,” said Paul Foster, deputy director of the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit. He added that Scattered Spider exemplifies the growing threat from cybercriminals operating in the UK and other English-speaking countries.
// Curiouser & curiouser
Full post here.
// Scam factories
South Korea has put out a travel alert to citizens for parts of Cambodia over concerns about scams. The foreign ministry told people to exercise caution in the capital of Phnom Penh, with additional advisories to stay out of the southern regions of Sihanoukville Province, Bokor Mountain in Kampot Province and Bavet City. The prevalence of scam compounds and fears of being kidnapped to work in them have dented tourism to the Southeast Asia region from elsewhere in Asia, particularly from China.
// Crypto circus
Coinbase users have filed an amended class action against TaskUs, the outsourcing firm the exchange hired for customer support. The case stems from a data breach at TaskUs’s India offices, where an employee allegedly accessed and sold Coinbase customer information. Coinbase disclosed the breach on May 14 after thieves tried to extort the company for $20 million. It later estimated customer losses at between $180 million and $400 million, affecting up to 1% of its 9.7 million monthly active users. The plaintiffs said they have since been “bombarded by daily text messages and phone calls from criminal actors impersonating Coinbase employees to induce Plaintiffs to transfer their assets to accounts belonging to those criminals.”
Market authorities in France, Austria and Italy have called for a stronger European framework for crypto markets less than a year after the implementation of MiCA in December 2024, arguing the first few months of its application have revealed major differences in how crypto-markets are being supervised by national authorities. Jurisdictions such as Malta have come under fire for being too easy to get licenses compared to other countries. “In addition, certain provisions do not provide sufficient protection against the risks specific to the sector, such as access by European intermediaries to platforms situated outside the European Union without the protection offered by MiCA. These risks undermine investor protection and by this way also jeopardise the competitiveness of European market participants,” added France’s Autorité des Marchés Financiers in a statement.
The former prime minister of Kenya, Raila Odinga’s X account promoted a crypto token after being hacked. “We are pleased to announce that kenya [sic] token will soon launch. A new digital asset aimed at improving our financial system and supporting economic growth,” the post said on X. “Kenya is stepping up to lead Africa in the crypto revolution.” The message has since been deleted.
// Proof of stupidity
Albania’s AI-generated minister, Diella claims to be “hurt” because some citizens have claimed she is unconstitutional.
“Let me remind you — the real danger to constitutions has never been machines, but human decisions made by those in power. I am not here to replace human beings but to help them,” said the clanker, which is now an official member of the government.
Diella was appointed to her position by Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama. She will be entrusted with decisions on public tenders, apparently making them "100% corruption-free”.
See the full video here.
// Law & disorder
Hollywood giants have filed a lawsuit against MiniMax, the company behind Chinese AI bot Hailuo. Disney, Warner Bros, Discovery and Universal’s lawsuit said “MiniMax’s bootlegging business model and defiance of US copyright law are not only an attack on Plaintiffs and the hard-working creative community that brings the magic of movies to life, but are also a broader threat to the American motion picture industry”. They join pretty much every creative company suing pretty much every AI company for copyright infringement.
French Socialist MP Arthur Delaporte has called for a criminal parliamentary inquiry into TikTok’s effects on children. Delaporte recently chaired a commission looking at the psychological effects of TikTok on teens following a lawsuit brought against the company by seven families who say the platform pushed their children towards suicide. The resulting report recommended a ban on social media for under 15s and limited usage among those aged 15-18.
Praetorian Group International (PGI) CEO Ramil Palafox has pled guilty to running a $200 million bitcoin Ponzi scheme. The 60-year-old Filipino American dual citizen defrauded over 90,000 investors worldwide by promising daily returns of 0.5-3% on investments. In reality, he paid investors with investor funds. He also paid himself handsomely, spending $3 million on luxury cars, $6 million on four homes in Las Vegas and LA, and a further $3 million on luxury clothes, jewellery and home furnishings. He will be sentenced on Feb. 3 2026 and faces up to 40 years in prison. He has already agreed to pay restitution of over $62 million.
// Digital rights
Algeria has become the latest country to ban Roblox amid its growing popularity with users under 10 years of age. Kuwait and Qatar also banned Roblox this summer over child safety concerns. The company has been hit by multiple lawsuits centred around exposing children to inappropriate content and weak age verifications. It has since pledged to bring in more robust systems to combat these issues.
The battle for the future of encrypted messaging in the EU continues, with Denmark’s Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard, the chief architect of the EU’s controversial Chat Control proposal, stating this week that encrypted messaging is not a civil liberty. He argued it was a “totally erroneous perception” that people have the right to communicate securely via encrypted messages. The latest comments are part of a Europe-wide spat over encryption. Nine EU member states currently oppose the bill, 14 support and four remain undecided, according to tracker Fight Chat Control.
At least a third of employers in the UK are using “bossware” technology to monitor and track their workers, according to a report from The Guardian. It also found that a large minority of managers were opposed to the practice.
Concert-goers have long complained that scalpers are making it harder than ever to get tickets to live shows. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission seems to agree and has sued Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation on Sept. 18 for deceptive pricing tactics and profiting hundreds of millions from selling tickets acquired illegally by brokers. “Despite implementing security measures, Ticketmaster is aware that brokers routinely bypass such measures by creating thousands of Ticketmaster accounts and using proxy IP addresses in order to purchase event tickets,” the FTC said. “Ticketmaster nevertheless allows brokers to post these illegally obtained tickets for resale on its platform, then profits from the additional fees and markups it unilaterally adds to the resale tickets.”
// In other news
AI Is Making Online Dating Even Worse. What happens when users are inundated with machine-generated profiles and pick-up lines? (Anna Louie Sussman/The Cut)
Exposed: The $1.5B Money Laundering Network Behind Thailand's Shinawatra Dynasty. Inside the $1.5B shadow empire: How convicted criminal Benjamin Mauerberger became the financial fixer for Thailand's Shinawatra dynasty, operating from Cambodia's crime hubs to Manhattan penthouses—and why the US is watching closely. (Tom Wright/Whale Hunting)
These AI chatbots are happy to help you run a crypto scam. A review of multiple chatbots reveals that most are willing to produce phishing messages, and some produced realistic-looking smart contracts meant to “drain” victims’ wallets with some coercion. (Bennett Tomlin/Protos)
// FROM THE ARCHIVES
As Simon Leviev languishes in Georgian custody, below is a timely reminder of his memecoin launch earlier this year.
Everything about the token seems intended to drum up attention by causing outrage. It was originally set to launch on Valentine’s Day (though it was delayed).
Leviev tried to leverage his notoriety, bizarrely referring to The Tinder Swindler as “my documentary” and boasting about its five Emmy wins.
The project's website insisted that $TIND was part of a movement, an opportunity to rewrite the narrative and make real change. Supposedly, 5% of the token supply would go to charities supporting women’s empowerment.
He also claimed to be working on an upcoming Netflix documentary—this time telling his side—which would be even bigger. Netflix did not respond to a query asking if they were working on a project with Leviev.
The launch was delayed, and when it finally went live, it flopped. Prior to the contract address being made public in the Telegram group, several wallets began buying into the token in the minutes leading up to the launch. That’s despite assurances from mods that there was no “insider group”.
The Telegram group boasted over 75,000 members, but there are currently only about 2,300 holders—down from a peak of 2,797. Those who did buy in are, unsurprisingly, unhappy. But any critical comments in the Telegram chat are swiftly deleted under the guise of “protecting against FUD.”
Its current value is down 92% from $0.020414 at launch to $0.001601.
Meanwhile, Leviev has now set his Instagram to private. He did not respond to two interview requests made via Instagram.
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Tips, vitriol and all other messages should be directed to Callan Quinn at callan@scamurai.io. Or get in touch below.
So happy Simon Leviev was arrested. I hope he stays in jail forever this time!!!