NIGERIAN MAKES U.S MOST WANTED LIST OVER $1M FRAUD. (PHOTO).

Image
 Nigerian makes US Most Wanted List over $1m fraud A Nigerian, Onoriode Ezewu, has been named on the United States Department of Labour’s first-ever Most Wanted List over allegations of money laundering involving fraudulent unemployment benefit claims worth more than $1m. The department’s Office of Inspector General unveiled the list on its website on Wednesday, naming 16 fugitives wanted in cases involving alleged fraud, identity theft, money laundering, labour trafficking and other offences. According to the agency, the cases collectively involve more than $55m allegedly stolen from American taxpayers. Ezewu’s profile on the department’s website identifies him as wanted for concealment money laundering and states that he is believed to be residing in Nigeria. “In January 2021, Ezewu was charged with 15 counts of concealment money laundering tied to fraudulent UI and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims filed using stolen identities, in a scheme exceeding $1 million that also t...

HOMELAND SECURITY REPORTEDLY INVESTIGATES BITCOIN MINING GIANT BITMAIN OVER NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS. (PHOTO).


Homeland Security reportedly investigates Bitcoin mining giant Bitmain over national security concerns

Federal authorities are reportedly investigating Beijing-based bitcoin mining hardware giant Bitmain over national security concerns, according to a Bloomberg report. The Department of Homeland Security is said to be running a secret probe, code-named “Operation Red Sunset,” examining imported Bitmain machines at U.S. ports for potential backdoors or remote-access capabilities that could be exploited for espionage or even disruption of critical infrastructure like the electrical grid.

The concern centers on Bitmain’s application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) miners, which are often deployed in large data centers near energy hubs, some close to military sites. Investigators worry these machines could theoretically be manipulated to monitor sensitive locations or trigger widespread power disruptions. The scrutiny follows prior warnings, including a 2024 federal block on a Bitmain-powered mining site near a Wyoming nuclear missile base and a bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee alert about potential vulnerabilities in the company’s equipment. Bitmain has denied any wrongdoing, claiming its Antminer rigs cannot be controlled remotely and that it has no knowledge of the so-called “Operation Red Sunset.”

The investigation also intersects with the Trump family’s involvement in cryptocurrency. Eric and Donald Trump Jr. operate a mining company called American Bitcoin, which recently purchased 16,000 Bitmain devices in a $314 million deal. While the venture appears focused on straightforward bitcoin mining, the use of Bitmain hardware could draw extra scrutiny amid national security concerns.

Bitmain has faced similar controversies before. During the 2017 Bitcoin scaling debates, the company resisted adopting Segregated Witness (SegWit) to protect a proprietary optimization called covert ASICBOOST, which offered a mining advantage. The company was also criticized for “Antbleed,” firmware in its Antminer rigs that allowed remote shutdowns. Bitmain insisted neither issue involved malicious intent, but both incidents have fueled ongoing concerns about centralized control and hidden functionality in bitcoin mining hardware.

With national security and corporate interests intersecting, the investigation into Bitmain highlights the continuing tension between cryptocurrency innovation and the potential risks posed by foreign-controlled infrastructure in critical digital and energy systems.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

THE NEW OONI OF ILE-IFE,WILL NOT EAT THE HEART OF THE LATE OONI-PALACE CHIEFS.

SHAKIRA COVERS WOMEN'S HEALTH MAGAZINE,APRIL ISSUE.

AMBODE,SOYINKA & OTHERS AT THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF LAGOS AT 50 YEARS ANNIVERSARY AGAINST 2017.{PHOTOS}.