Law & Order & Cryptocurrency Scams
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In this podcast hosted by the City Bar Presidential Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies, Alona Katz, Chief of the Virtual Currency Unit at the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, alongside a panel of experts, discusses the growing issue of cryptocurrency investment scams, specifically ‘pig butchering,’ which one guest describes as “ a confidence scam and a romance scam and an investment scam all wrapped into one.”
The panel includes Inspector Osvaldo Nunez from the New York City Police Department; Kristen Spaeth, Manager on the Global Intelligence Team at Coinbase; Jonathan Scharf, Deputy Chief of Major Economic Crimes at the Queens County District Attorney’s Office; and Adrian Cheek, a disruption expert. They share insights on current trends, investigation techniques, and strategies for effective disruption and seizure of assets.
The group emphasizes education as a key tool for inoculating the public to these scams, the importance of public-private sector collaboration, and proactive measures to prevent scams and protect victims.
If you’re interested in learning more about cryptocurrency and law enforcement trends, join us for the City Bar’s Crypto Institute on March 11 (available thereafter on-demand). Visit nycbar.org/events to find all of the most up-to-date information about our upcoming programs and events.
00:00 Introduction and Host’s Welcome
00:38 Meet the Experts: Introductions
05:37 Understanding Pig Butchering Scams
12:45 Law Enforcement’s Perspective
22:52 Local vs. Federal Response
29:22 Private Sector Insights: Coinbase’s Role
31:53 Transaction and Blockchain Analysis
32:54 Law Enforcement Collaboration
33:42 Coinbase’s Protective Measures
34:35 Scam Detection Techniques
36:35 Tech Against Scams Coalition
37:28 Disruption Strategies in Investigations
40:12 Domain and Wallet Analysis
43:34 Advice for Law Enforcement
54:04 Future of Cryptocurrency Crime Units
55:45 Final Thoughts and Collaboration