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Lost your crypto access code? Be wary, there‘s a scam for that too

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Lost your crypto access code? Be wary, there‘s a scam for that too

After holding them for a few years, you have decided it is time to cash in your cryptocurrency holdings. The problem is, it is so long since you set up the digital wallet which manages them on your laptop, you have forgotten the lengthy access code.

Stressed at the thought of losing thousands of pounds, you search and download a program which promises to recover the 24-word “seed phrase” which gives you access to your cypto assets.

Unfortunately, the program was created by criminals and, once installed, harvests your personal details and passwords, as well as taking images of the documents on your system.

Searching online for help to recover a lengthy access code can come up with a malicious tool out to harvest your financial details. Illustration: THE NEW YORK TIMES/AFP/Getty Images

It may sound a niche type of fraud, but it is clearly lucrative enough for criminals to bother setting up fake websites directing people to their dodgy software.

“Scammers are preying on people’s desperation to recover their cryptocurrency wallets,” says Alex Holland, of the HP Security Lab, which found evidence of the fraud. “Perhaps the victim has forgotten the seed phrase used to access their wallet. If you wanted a way of recovering that, you could search ‘free cryptocurrency recovery tool’, which I did, and lo and behold one of these fake malware-laden tools came up in my search results.”

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A cryptocurrency wallet is a tool on your computer which allows you to store the keys needed to access the currencies. The wallets generate seed phrases – which can be between 12 and 24 words – which allow you access.

The scam software is hosted on a website that offers to help you get hold of your seed phrase.

One piece of software found by HP Security Lab is called the “Lost crypto wallets finder – cryptocurrency recovery toolkit”. It promises that “this toolkit is invaluable for both new and seasoned users who want to reclaim their assets and don’t lose access to their digital wealth”.

The site which hosts the software is now down.

Lost your bitcoin access codes? Be careful how you try to recover them. Photograph: Wit Olszewski/Alamy

You will be told you need to download the software to recover your wallet. Once downloaded, the malware will collect information, including passwords from web browsers, documents, photos and other sensitive files.

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This information is then packaged on to a Zip file and sent to criminals who may use the details for future frauds.

What to do

If you have trouble remembering your passwords, or where you wrote them down, don’t panic as that is exactly what the fraudsters want. “They’re preying on emotions. They want to take advantage of that moment of vulnerability,” says Holland.

There are legitimate sites which can be used to help recover a seed phrase but you should read online reviews to see whether they are safe.

If you find that you have downloaded malware, remove it using reputable security software. Then quickly reset your passwords, starting with your banking ones.

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Crypto

Sharplink Breaks 8-Month ETH Drought With Silent $18M Buy Through FalconX

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Sharplink Breaks 8-Month ETH Drought With Silent M Buy Through FalconX

Key Takeaways

Lookonchain Spots Sharplink Recieving 5,000 ETH

With 876,285 ETH valued at $1.38 billion using current ether exchange rates on Saturday, June 27, 2026, Sharplink ranks below Bitmine’s 5,672,956 ETH cache, making it the second-largest ETH treasury today. This week, the onchain analyst on X known as Lookonchain detailed that Sharplink acquired 5,000 ETH from the crypto firm FalconX.

“After 8 months, Sharplink is buying ETH again,” Lookonchain wrote. The onchain analysts also noted in the X post that the publicly traded firm paid an average price of $3,609 per coin and is sitting on $1.7 billion in paper losses. While the company’s 5,000 ETH inflow can be verified onchain, Sharplink has not issued a press release or formal announcement.

Stock Down 99% and $1.7B in Paper Losses

Sharplink is among the growing roster of digital asset treasury (DAT) firms watching the crypto bear market eat into their paper gains. The company’s shares trade on Nasdaq, and the stock closed June 26 at $4.81 a share. Shares climbed 5.48% during Friday’s trading session after news of the company scooping up more ETH began circulating across social media.

Sharplink chart via Tradingview.

Despite Friday’s 5.48% lift, Sharplink (Nasdaq: SBET) is down 10.76% over the past week, more than 21% this month, and 47.37% year to date. Hardly cause for celebration. SBET is also trading 99.96% below its all-time high. Sharplink’s stock has generally traded at a discount to NAV, with mNAV below 1.0x, while nearly all of the company’s ether remains staked.

Sharplink’s renewed buying signals conviction, but the numbers tell a harder story. Whether accumulating through a bear market proves prescient or painful remains an open question.

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4 arrested in Poland for SIM-swapping and cryptocurrency theft

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4 arrested in Poland for SIM-swapping and cryptocurrency theft
As detailed in Bleeping Computer, Polish authorities have arrested four individuals suspected of being part of an organized cybercrime group responsible for SIM-swapping attacks and significant cryptocurrency theft.The operation, a collaboration between Poland’s Cybercrime Bureau (CBZC) and U.S. agencies including the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations, targeted a group accused of breaching telecommunications partners and hijacking email accounts. These actions allowed the suspects to gain control of victims’ phone numbers, intercept communications, and ultimately access cryptocurrency exchange accounts. Investigators estimate that millions of U.S. dollars were stolen and laundered through a complex financial network.The arrested individuals face charges including participation in an organized criminal group, hacking, and money laundering, with potential penalties of up to 25 years in prison. One of the identified suspects, according to blockchain investigator ZachXBT, is Wojtek Kulisz, also known as “Merry.”Source: Bleeping Computer
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SpaceX Lands Nasdaq-100 Spot Weeks After Record IPO

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SpaceX Lands Nasdaq-100 Spot Weeks After Record IPO

Key Takeaways

SpaceX Inclusion Highlights Growing Influence of Aerospace Innovation in Major Market Benchmark

Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (Nasdaq: SPCX), also known as SpaceX, will join the Nasdaq-100 Index before the market opens on July 7, 2026, Nasdaq announced on June 26. The addition places the aerospace company among the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

SpaceX’s inclusion follows its initial public offering on June 12, 2026, when the company debuted on the Nasdaq in what became the largest IPO in history. The aerospace and technology company priced its shares at $135, entering the market with an initial valuation of $1.77 trillion. Shares opened at $150 and closed their first trading day at $160.95, valuing SpaceX at roughly $2.1 trillion, a milestone that made Musk the world’s first trillionaire.

Nasdaq stated:

“Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (Nasdaq: SPCX) will become a component of the Nasdaq-100 Index prior to market open on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.”

The company entered public markets after years of private growth, fueled by advancements in reusable rocket technology, satellite deployment, and its Starlink broadband network.

Since its record IPO, SpaceX shares have experienced notable volatility. SPCX climbed to an intraday high above $225 during its first week of trading before retreating. The stock later closed at $153.23 on June 26, remaining above its IPO price but trading near its opening level as early enthusiasm gave way to more measured trading.

Nasdaq-100 Tracks Major Non-Financial Companies Listed on the Exchange

The Nasdaq-100 measures the performance of 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on Nasdaq and is widely followed by investors.

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“The Nasdaq-100 Index — which measures the performance of 100 of the largest Nasdaq-listed non-financial companies — is tracked by more than 200 investment products with over $800 billion in assets under management globally,” the company noted, adding:

“Nasdaq Global Indexes publishes and maintains more than 10,000 indexes across asset classes and geographies.”

Inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 can reshape trading activity, as index-tracking funds rebalance their portfolios to incorporate the new constituent. This process typically boosts trading volume and raises the company’s profile among institutional investors.

FTSE Russell is also adding SpaceX to its Russell U.S. equity indexes after Friday’s closing bell as part of its semi-annual reconstitution. The update requires passive funds tied to Russell benchmarks, including the iShares Russell 1000 ETF (IWB), to add SPCX shares as the new index lineup takes effect.

SpaceX’s rapid inclusion in major benchmarks reflects its large market value and strong trading activity, both key factors for index eligibility. Being added to widely followed indexes can also lead to increased demand for shares, as funds that track these benchmarks must buy stock in newly included companies.

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