25.11.202213:25 Forex Analysis & Reviews: Two people from Estonia are detained for cryptocurrency fraud

The US Department of Justice reports that two Estonian citizens have been detained in Tallinn, Estonia, based on an 18-count indictment that accuses them of taking part in a conspiracy to launder money and commit cryptocurrency fraud worth $575 million.

The 37-year-olds Sergey Potapenko and Ivan Turygin are accused of defrauding hundreds of thousands of victims through a complex scheme in which they encouraged their victims to sign false equipment lease agreements with HashFlare, a cryptocurrency mining service, according to the ministry's statement.

The Justice Department claimed that they also forced victims to invest in Polybius Bank, a virtual currency bank that was not a bank and never paid the promised dividends.

The agency claims that the victims who suffered losses paid more than $575 million to Potapenko and Turygin's businesses. Both used shell companies to launder the fraud proceeds and buy luxury goods like real estate and automobiles.

According to Kenneth Polite Jr., assistant attorney general for the Department of Justice's Criminal Division, "the size and scope of the alleged scheme are truly astounding." "The United States and Estonia authorities are working to seize, restrict, and profit from these crimes."

The agency claims that at least 75 real estate items, thousands of cryptocurrency mining devices, thousands of cryptocurrency wallets, six high-end vehicles, and the money laundering conspiracy were all allegedly involved. The FBI looked into the situation.