Tag: requests

  • Pi Network suspends wallet payment requests after scammers drain millions

    Pi Network suspends wallet payment requests after scammers drain millions

    Pi Network suspends wallet payment requests

    • Pi Network halts wallet requests after large-scale scams target users.
    • Scammers exploit public balances and impersonate trusted contacts.
    • PI trades near $0.20 amid low liquidity and token unlocks.

    Pi Network has temporarily disabled its wallet payment request feature in response to a surge of sophisticated scam activity that has led to the loss of millions of PI tokens from user wallets.

    The move, announced by the Pi Core Team on social platform X, comes as attackers increasingly exploit the platform’s payment request function to trick users into approving fraudulent transfers.

    According to on‑chain data shared by community observers and reporting outlets, scammers have siphoned off more than 4.4 million PI by sending deceptive payment requests to holders with large balances.

    One single scammer address reportedly received hundreds of thousands of tokens each month throughout 2025.

    Tokens approved through these requests are moved instantly to the attacker’s wallet and cannot be reversed, meaning victims have no recourse once a transfer is authorised.

    The Pi Core Team stressed that this issue stems from social engineering rather than a flaw in the network’s protocol.

    Because wallet balances and addresses are publicly visible on Pi’s blockchain, bad actors can identify high‑value wallets and impersonate trusted contacts, friends, moderators, or even official accounts, to convince users to authorise transfers.

    To curb further losses, the network has disabled the payment request feature across its ecosystem while assessing potential safeguards.

    The suspension is intended to be temporary, but the team has not yet announced a specific timeline for restoring the function.

    In the meantime, community moderators and safety advocates are urging users to refuse all unsolicited payment requests.

    Scam tactics and broader security concerns

    Experts and user reports indicate that the scams are part of a broader uptick in deceptive schemes targeting Pi users.

    Fraudsters cast a wide net, from phishing links claiming fake airdrops or price promotions to counterfeit portals that ask for wallet credentials or private keys, which can lead to full account takeovers.

    Pi Network’s core team has repeatedly warned against sharing sensitive information or engaging with unverified links circulating on social media and messaging platforms.

    While Pi Network itself is not widely regarded as an outright scam project by independent analysts, its rapid growth, mobile‑centric model, and referral‑based incentives have drawn scrutiny and made its large user base a target for scammers.

    Users are advised to stick strictly to official communication channels and exercise heightened caution when interacting with unverifiable contacts.

    Impact on PI token price

    The payment request suspension arrives amid mixed sentiment around the PI token’s market performance.

    While Pi token’s price forecast remains optimistic, it currently trades near the $0.20 level, up only 1% in two weeks.

    Notably, the PI coin price has been weighed down by low liquidity and ongoing token unlocks, with significant amounts entering circulation in recent months.

    The token has struggled to absorb the added supply, and daily trading volumes remain moderate.

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  • UK man sues council after denying requests to dig for lost Bitcoin hard drive in landfill

    UK man sues council after denying requests to dig for lost Bitcoin hard drive in landfill

    Crypto.com sues the US SEC after Wells notice
    • James Howell has been trying to get his lost hard drive back for 10 years
    • Howell mined 8,000 Bitcoin on his laptop after learning about Bitcoin in 2009
    • The council have denied Howell’s requests to dig due to “environmental concerns”

    A 39-year-old man is suing Newport City Council for $646 million (£495,314,800 million) in damages after losing his hard drive at a recycling center containing 8,000 Bitcoin.

    James Howell accidentally threw out his hard drive in 2013 during a household clearout. According to WalesOnline, Howell had two hard drives of the same size. One was blank, while the other contained his Bitcoin.

    He mistakenly put the one containing the Bitcoin into a black bin bag, which his then-girlfriend took to the tip. At the time of his loss, his Bitcoin was worth around $1.3 million (£1 million). However, within three months, their value had risen to around $11.7 million (£9 million).

    Howell has reached an agreement, leaving him with 30% of his Bitcoin if the hard drive is found. The remaining would be split between his backers, the recovery team, and the council.

    Howell states that despite meeting a representative of the council in 2013, he’s been “largely ignored.”

    “I’m still allocating 10% of the value for the council even though they have been problematic throughout,” he said. “That would be £41m based on today’s rate but in the future, it could be hundreds of millions.”

    Environmental concerns

    A court filing states that Howell’s hard drive is located in Cell 2- Area 2 of the Docksway landfill.

    If the hard drive is located, the dig would take around 18 to 36 months followed by 12 months of remediation work. Yet, despite promises to safely excavate the Newport site and to modernize the landfill, the council have rejected Howell’s requests to dig due to “environmental concerns.”

    Howell’s lawyers claim that the council have “simply ignored” that 10% of Bitcoin could bring “a huge and desperately needed investment in the local community.”

    Lawyers for the council argue that the hard drive belongs to the council because it was dumped at the tip. However, Howell’s lawyers deny this, claiming that the hard drive was never intended to be thrown away.

    Howell said he didn’t want to go to court, but “this is the final shot.”

    The case is expected to be heard in December.

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