Crypto hacks surged 15% in August with $163 million stolen across 16 major exploits, according to PeckShield 2 losses exceeded July’s $142 million total as hackers targeted exchanges, DeFi protocols, and individual holders through increasingly sophisticated social engineering attacks and technical 3 Becomes Third-Worst Month for Crypto Security in 2025 A single Bitcoin holder lost $91.4 million on August 19 through social engineering after attackers posed as support agents for a hardware wallet to obtain wallet credentials.) September 1, 2025 Social Engineering and Exchange Vulnerabilities Drive Major Losses The $91.4 million Bitcoin holder attack occurred exactly one year after the $243 million Genesis creditor 4 investigator ZachXBT uncovered the scheme two days after the August 19 incident, revealing how the attacker had systematically gained the victim’s trust before requesting sensitive wallet 5 the BtcTurk’s attack, the multi-chain exploit began with suspicious transfers detected by Cyvers’ security firm approximately 30 minutes after initial unauthorized 6 ( @btcturk ), Turkey's second-largest crypto exchange, loses $48M in a major hack targeting hot wallets across 7 blockchain networks, marking its second incident in 14 months. #CryptoHack #Turkey 0 — 7 (@cryptonews) August 14, 2025 Attackers consolidated stolen assets into two primary wallets before systematically swapping various cryptocurrencies for Ethereum through decentralized 8 Turkish exchange immediately suspended all cryptocurrency deposits and withdrawals while maintaining fiat currency 9 initially avoided using terms like “hack” or “breach,” instead describing the situation as technical difficulties that required temporary security measures.
However, in the case of the CrediX Finance incident, it turned out to be an exit scam tactic disguised as recovery 10 losing $4.5 million through a multisig wallet compromise on August 4, the protocol initially assured users that successful negotiations with exploiters for the return of funds would be completed within two days. However, the development team vanished on August 8 , deleting all official accounts and leaving users without 11 Violence Targets French Crypto Community Through Systematic Kidnapping The August 28 kidnapping of a 35-year-old former crypto trader in Paris marked the tenth crypto-linked abduction reported in France during recent 12 demanded €10,000 ransom from the victim’s Algerian contact before releasing him on Wednesday morning with facial swelling and strangulation 13 crypto trader kidnapped near Paris, released after refusing €10K ransom amid surge in crypto kidnappings. #France #Crypto 1 — 14 (@cryptonews) August 28, 2025 French authorities have identified coordinated criminal networks systematically targeting crypto entrepreneurs through increasingly brutal 15 now accounts for nearly one-third of the 32 global “wrench attacks” reported in 2025, with the country now seen as a dangerous place for crypto 16 May, prosecutors charged 25 suspects linked to multiple abduction plots, including attempts on Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat’s daughter, using fake delivery vans as 17 authorities arrested Franco-Moroccan suspect Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou in Tangier following an Interpol Red Notice, identifying him as a key organizer coordinating operations from outside 18 believe a second Franco-Moroccan organizer remains at large, using social media to recruit young French 19 violence extends globally, with Belgium sentencing three men to 12 years for kidnapping crypto investor Stephane Winkel’s wife in December 20 August incidents contribute to 2025’s devastating security trend, with crypto investors losing over $3.1 billion in the year’s first half through digital attacks and physical violence.
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