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66-Year-Old Retired Man Scammed in 3 Cryptocurrency Fraud Cases

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Bonk.fun users report drained wallets after hackers hijack platform domain

The Hong Kong Police Cyber Crime Bureau has issued a warning after a 66-year-old retired man fell victim to three separate cryptocurrency scams. 

Summary

  • A Hong Kong senior loses HK$6.6M in three separate cryptocurrency scams.
  • Police warn against transferring money or crypto to strangers to avoid fraud.
  • Fraudsters impersonating experts tricked the victim into losing all his savings.

In total, the elderly victim lost HK$6.6 million after being misled by fraudsters posing as cryptocurrency experts, according to local reports.

In September 2025, the victim received a WhatsApp message from a fraudster claiming to be a cryptocurrency investment expert. The scammer promised guaranteed profits and offered to teach the victim how to invest in cryptocurrencies. 

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Trusting the individual, the elderly man handed over HK$1.4 million. After the cryptocurrency was deposited into the fraudster’s account, the scammer vanished. Realizing he had been deceived, the victim reported the incident to the police.

Not willing to give up, the victim went online to seek help from another “cryptocurrency expert” to recover his losses. The new fraudster reassured the victim that recovery was possible, but demanded 600,000 yuan as a deposit. Once the victim transferred the money, the so-called expert disappeared as well, and the victim realized he had been scammed a second time.

In January of this year, the victim was contacted by another fraudster claiming to be able to recover his previous losses. This time, the fraudster insisted that the victim purchase 4.6 million yuan worth of cryptocurrency and deposit it into a designated account. As with the previous scams, the fraudster disappeared after the victim complied. At this point, the elderly man had lost his entire life savings to scammers.

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Police Warning and Advice

The police are urging citizens to be cautious and avoid transferring money or cryptocurrency to strangers. They emphasize that no one can guarantee to recover losses, and any offer that promises guaranteed returns or insider information is likely a scam. If someone offers to help recover funds after a previous scam, it is likely part of a serial fraud scheme.

Additionally, the FBI has issued a warning about fake tokens on the Tron blockchain impersonating the agency. Scammers are using these fake tokens to trick users into providing personal information under the false pretense that their wallets are under investigation.

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Crypto World

Crypto market recap: What happened today?

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Crypto market recap: What happened today?

The crypto market saw several important developments today, including a warning from Hong Kong authorities about cryptocurrency scams, a new filing from Grayscale for a crypto-based ETF, and progress on the CLARITY Act in the U.S. Here’s a quick overview of the major events.

Summary

  • Hong Kong senior lost HK$6.6M in three crypto scams involving fake experts.
  • Grayscale files for HYPE ETF, offering exposure to Hyperliquid’s token.
  • US lawmakers near agreement to regulate stablecoin yield to protect banks.

Hong Kong police warn after senior man falls victim to scams

Hong Kong’s Police Cyber Crime Bureau issued a warning today after a 66-year-old retired man lost HK$6.6 million to three separate cryptocurrency scams. According to reports, the elderly victim was first contacted in September 2025 by a fraudster claiming to be a cryptocurrency expert. The scammer convinced the victim to invest, promising guaranteed profits. The man transferred HK$1.4 million to the fraudster, only to realize later that he had been tricked.

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Undeterred, the victim sought help from another fraudster posing as an expert to recover his losses. However, after paying a deposit of 600,000 yuan, the second fraudster also disappeared. In January of this year, the victim was once again approached by a scammer claiming to recover the previous losses. This time, the fraudster instructed the victim to purchase cryptocurrency worth 4.6 million yuan, which the victim did. Once again, the scammer vanished, leaving the man without his entire life savings.

Grayscale files for HYPE ETF linked to Hyperliquid token

In other news, Grayscale filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to launch an exchange-traded fund (ETF) tied to Hyperliquid’s native token, HYPE. The proposed Grayscale HYPE ETF, if approved, would allow investors to gain exposure to the token’s price movement without holding the token directly.

Hyperliquid is a blockchain platform focused on decentralized perpetual futures trading. The proposed ETF would initially track the price of HYPE, with the potential for staking to be added later. Grayscale’s move adds to a growing list of firms exploring investment products tied to newer digital assets like HYPE, as interest in crypto ETFs continues to expand beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum.

U.S. lawmakers work on stablecoin yield agreement

Meanwhile, in the United States, progress on the CLARITY Act is moving forward. Reports suggest that lawmakers are close to a tentative agreement on stablecoin yield, a key issue that has slowed the progress of the cryptocurrency market structure bill earlier this year.

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The proposed agreement would address concerns over stablecoin yield and its potential impact on bank deposits. If passed, the legislation could regulate how stablecoin issuers offer yield to their holders. The deal aims to protect innovation while limiting the risk of deposit flight from the banking system. It could be a significant step forward in regulating digital assets and stabilizing the U.S. crypto market.

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Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Drops 7.7% in Biggest Cut Since February

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Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Drops 7.7% in Biggest Cut Since February

Bitcoin’s mining difficulty fell by around 7.7% at the latest adjustment on March 20 to 133.79 trillion at block 941,472, the sharpest drop since February, according to CoinWarz data.

The latest move takes difficulty down from around 145 trillion in mid-March and roughly 148 trillion at the start of the year. A lower difficulty means it takes less computational work to earn the same block reward, slightly improving revenue per unit of hashrate for firms that stay online.

The adjustment followed slower-than-target block production over the prior 2,016 blocks. CloverPool data showed average block times at about 12 minutes 36 seconds, well above Bitcoin’s 10-minute target, forcing the network to recalibrate lower.

In February, difficulty dropped sharply after weather-related disruptions in the United States temporarily knocked large American mining facilities offline, and it later rebounded by about 15% as hashrate returned to the network once power conditions normalized. 

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Bitcoin (BTC) difficulty measures how hard it is for miners to find a valid hash for the next block and is automatically adjusted to keep issuance steady at one block every 10 minutes.

When more computing power, or hashrate, joins the network, difficulty rises to prevent blocks from being mined too quickly, while a decline in hashrate triggers a lower difficulty, making it easier for remaining miners to earn rewards. 

Bitcoin difficulty drops 7.7%. Source: CoinWarz

Related: Cango reports $285M Q4 loss as Bitcoin mining costs surge in 2025

The next difficulty adjustment is currently estimated for April 3, though that projection changes with each new block.

Miners pivot to AI as power costs bite

The difficulty reset also comes as several listed miners push further into AI and high-performance computing infrastructure in search of steadier returns on power and data-center capacity.

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Last week, crypto trader Ran Neuner argued AI had become Bitcoin mining’s biggest competitor as both industries compete for electricity, even going as far as to say that “AI has killed Bitcoin forever.” 

Bitcoin miners such as Core Scientific, MARA Holdings, Hut 8 and Cipher Mining have begun reallocating capacity or pivoting toward AI workloads, while some operators have reduced hashrate or shut down less efficient rigs as profitability tightens.

On Feb 21, Bitdeer liquidated 943 BTC from reserves and sold newly mined coins, cutting corporate holdings to zero. In its latest weekly update on March 21, it confirmed that its BTC holdings remained at zero.

Big questions: Would Bitcoin survive a 10-year power outage?

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