Trozze Arianna, Kamps Josh, Akartuna Eray Arda, Hetzel Florian J, Kleinberg Bennett, Davies Toby, Johnson Shane D
Dawes Centre for Future Crime, University College London, 35 Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9EZ UK.
Department of Security and Crime Science, University College London, 35 Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9EZ UK.
Crime Sci. 2022;11(1):1. doi: 10.1186/s40163-021-00163-8. Epub 2022 Jan 5.
Cryptocurrency fraud has become a growing global concern, with various governments reporting an increase in the frequency of and losses from cryptocurrency scams. Despite increasing fraudulent activity involving cryptocurrencies, research on the potential of cryptocurrencies for fraud has not been examined in a systematic study. This review examines the current state of knowledge about what kinds of cryptocurrency fraud currently exist, or are expected to exist in the future, and provides comprehensive definitions of the frauds identified.
The study involved a scoping review of academic research and grey literature on cryptocurrency fraud and a 1.5-day expert consensus exercise. The review followed the PRISMA-ScR protocol, with eligibility criteria based on language, publication type, relevance to cryptocurrency fraud, and evidence provided. Researchers screened 391 academic records, 106 of which went on to the eligibility phase, and 63 of which were ultimately analysed. We screened 394 grey literature sources, 128 of which passed on to the eligibility phase, and 53 of which were included in our review. The expert consensus exercise was attended by high-profile participants from the private sector, government, and academia. It involved problem planning and analysis activities and discussion about the future of cryptocurrency crime.
The academic literature identified 29 different types of cryptocurrency fraud; the grey literature discussed 32 types, 14 of which were not identified in the academic literature (i.e., 47 unique types in total). Ponzi schemes and (synonymous) high yield investment programmes were most discussed across all literature. Participants in the expert consensus exercise ranked pump-and-dump schemes and ransomware as the most profitable and feasible threats, though pump-and-dumps were, notably, perceived as the least harmful type of fraud.
The findings of this scoping review suggest cryptocurrency fraud research is rapidly developing in volume and breadth, though we remain at an early stage of thinking about future problems and scenarios involving cryptocurrencies. The findings of this work emphasise the need for better collaboration across sectors and consensus on definitions surrounding cryptocurrency fraud to address the problems identified.
加密货币欺诈已成为全球日益关注的问题，各国政府纷纷报告加密货币诈骗的频率和损失有所增加。尽管涉及加密货币的欺诈活动不断增加，但尚未有系统研究探讨加密货币用于欺诈的可能性。本综述考察了关于当前存在或未来可能存在的各类加密货币欺诈的现有知识状态，并对所识别的欺诈行为给出了全面定义。
该研究包括对关于加密货币欺诈的学术研究和灰色文献进行范围综述，以及为期1.5天的专家共识研讨会。该综述遵循PRISMA-ScR协议，入选标准基于语言、出版类型、与加密货币欺诈的相关性以及所提供的证据。研究人员筛选了391篇学术记录，其中106篇进入入选阶段，最终分析了63篇。我们筛选了394个灰色文献来源，其中128篇进入入选阶段，53篇纳入我们的综述。来自私营部门、政府和学术界的知名人士参加了专家共识研讨会。会议涉及问题规划与分析活动以及关于加密货币犯罪未来的讨论。
学术文献识别出29种不同类型的加密货币欺诈；灰色文献讨论了32种类型，其中14种未在学术文献中被识别（即总共47种独特类型）。庞氏骗局和（同义的）高收益投资项目在所有文献中讨论最多。专家共识研讨会的参与者将拉高出货计划和勒索软件列为最具盈利性和可行性的威胁，不过值得注意的是，拉高出货计划被视为危害最小的欺诈类型。
本范围综述的结果表明，加密货币欺诈研究在数量和广度上都在迅速发展，不过我们在思考涉及加密货币的未来问题和情景方面仍处于早期阶段。这项工作的结果强调，需要各部门之间更好地合作，并就围绕加密货币欺诈的定义达成共识，以解决所识别的问题。
