“Virtual currencies, perhaps most notably Bitcoin, have captured the imagination of some, struck fear among others and confused the heck out of the rest of us — including me.” – Senator Tom Carper, chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, November 2013

Today is day 2 of our Fraud Awareness Week series, Fraud Stories and Lessons Learned, and we want to highlight the rapidly emerging problem of cryptocurrency fraud. Brad Moody, EVP of Operations for Lowers & Associates, points out the rapid increase in crypto-related fraud noting that in 2016 there were only 340 active fraud cases of such fraud and by 2020, there were more than 80,000 cases in the U.S. alone.

In this fraud story, Brad explains how current schemes to capture victim organizations’ cryptocurrency are amplifying the need for effective internal controls, anti-fraud training, and third-party penetration testing.

Listen to the story here:

Interestingly, one of the best ways organizations can protect themselves from cryptocurrency fraud is through the same tried and true practices used to prevent social engineering, phishing, and other related attacks. Employees are increasingly subject to scams through email and link-sharing, so it’s important to look at how to detect and block such activity but also to train employees on how to recognize and avoid becoming victims to such scams.

David Gardiner, Senior Vice President of Lowers Forensics International, offers further advice: “Crypto based currencies are now becoming a professionally acceptable form of tender. Now more than ever, corporations need to proactively mitigate their risk and exposure. This can be done through a myriad of operating procedures including the process of facilitating not only their outbound, but even incoming payments. Strict rules of engagement, much like the protocols already used in wire transfers (verbal confirmation, dual signature authentication, etc.) should be followed here as well.”

Stay tuned tomorrow for another fraud story from the front lines of Lowers & Associates.

Cryptocurrency, a form of digital payment that can be spent or traded online for goods and services, is still a relatively new concept. As such, it’s perceived value as both a medium for financial exchange and a potential investment changes frequently. But with the often-astounding value a single token or cryptocurrency exchange can have, keeping cryptocurrency secure remains a static concern for security professionals monitoring its maturation.

For most traditional businesses, the COVID pandemic has impacted operations significantly, the most relevant example in the crypto discussion being banks and other financial institutions. However, we’ve also seen online and ecommerce businesses like Amazon benefit greatly. Crypto occupies a unique place in the economy because, while a digital currency, its handling often remains a protected physical asset.

During COVID, our team has seen an increase in marketplace awareness about Crypto. And while the data is still murky on an increase in usage, every security professional is acutely aware that with an increase in awareness comes an increase in the potential for theft or fraud. We had a chance to speak with Brad Moody, Executive Vice President of Operations for Lowers & Associates, about the current state of Crypto in 2020, including how companies are securing Crypto exchanges during COVID, the adaptations they’ve made, as well as some current trends.

“Interesting enough, there’s a growing appetite for the working from home aspect,” he said. “Normally, it’s almost like a boiler room type of thing, but now these companies are trying to get out of real estate to be very minimal while also still be able to perform the same transactions at a very high level maintaining security. We’re starting to see that quite a bit. When you start with a highly secure location, though, what happens when that goes away?”

In today’s Coffee Break, Brad explains why it’s important to understand what companies can do to maintain that integrity from the outside in.