They are catching scams by running their own scam?
The FBI loooooves themselves some honeypots.
Why go catch criminals when you can set up some links/a token/whatever and they’ll come running to you and do the incriminating part themselves AND leave the logs of said activity in your possession?
Much simpler!
Wouldn’t that be entrapment though?
Generally not. Entrapment is very specific, and leaving you the option of doing something illegal without pushing you to do it is decidedly not entrapment.
To add more detail to the other reply, it’s only entrapment if they coerce you into doing something you wouldn’t have otherwise done.
A cop comes up to you and goes ‘bro, lets go steal that car!’ would probably be entrapment.
Cops putting a car on a street waiting for someone to steal it wouldn’t be.
But this would be like a car that has the keys in the ignition and a sign making you aware of that fact.
I mean, that’s basically what a trap car is, and those have been litigated to the point it’s very clear that it’s not entrapment and totally allowed.
I mean you have to be kind of stupid to see an expensive car sitting there with the keys in the ignition and go ‘BRO! New ride!’, but ‘stupid’ isn’t a criminal defense (so far anyways) and nobody MAKES them get in the car, start it, and drive off.
Even that wouldn’t be entrapment
What laws are they prosecuting the users of this unregulated market under?
“The charges include market manipulation, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and wire fraud, which can lead to sentences of up to 20 years”
SEC also has a press release
