When you hold cryptocurrency theft, the illegal taking of digital assets through hacking, phishing, or social engineering. Also known as crypto theft, it’s not just a technical problem—it’s a human one. Every year, billions in crypto vanish—not because the blockchain broke, but because someone clicked the wrong link, used a weak password, or trusted a fake exchange.
Most crypto hacks, attacks that drain funds from exchanges, wallets, or smart contracts. Also known as crypto breaches happen because users don’t understand basic security. Take Altsbit—it collapsed after a 2020 hack stole nearly all user funds. Or Libre, a low-fee exchange with no audits. These aren’t outliers. They’re warnings. Hackers don’t crack Bitcoin’s code. They trick you into giving them access. That’s why crypto scams, fraudulent schemes designed to steal crypto under false pretenses. Also known as crypto fraud are so common. Fake airdrops like SWAPP Protocol or Videocoin by Drakula look real until you realize there’s no team, no code, no future. They’re traps.
Your wallet is only as safe as your habits. If you’re using an exchange with no public audits—like Blockfinex or MM Finance—you’re already playing Russian roulette. If you’re storing large amounts on an exchange, you’re asking for trouble. Cold wallets aren’t fancy—they’re necessary. And if you’ve ever been tempted by a "free crypto" offer tied to a Twitter giveaway or a Telegram channel, you’ve already walked into a wallet security, the practice of protecting crypto holdings from unauthorized access. Also known as digital asset security failure. The U.S. sanctioned Myanmar groups tied to $10 billion in scams because they didn’t just hack—they built entire fraud factories. People lost life savings because they didn’t ask: "Who’s behind this?"
And it’s not just about big exchanges. Tiny DEXs like DogeSwap or Polyient Games DEX (which doesn’t even exist) lure users with low fees and meme tokens. No audits. No support. No safety net. When your crypto disappears, courts won’t help. China’s 58 million crypto wallets have zero legal protection. Portugal lets you trade tax-free, but if you get hacked? Too bad. The rules don’t care how smart you think you are.
There’s no magic fix. No app that makes you immune. But you can stop being the easiest target. Check for audits. Verify teams. Never share seed phrases. Use hardware wallets. And if something sounds too good to be true—like a "1:1 token exchange" after a CEO’s fraud conviction—it probably is. Below, you’ll find real cases of theft, scams, and failures. Not theory. Not guesses. Real stories of people who lost it all—and what you can do differently.
In 2025, North Korean hackers stole over $2.1 billion in crypto using fake IT workers and global laundering networks. The U.S. has responded with sweeping OFAC sanctions targeting the people, companies, and infrastructure behind the thefts.
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