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Moscow Meltdown, King of Davos, and Sanctions Rethink

Illicit Edge - Edition for July 27, 2025

Hello Sunday! We’re tracking top stories to prepare for the week ahead: Russia economic meltdown as steel giant profits plunge 89% and airlines face total collapse, the dizzying fall of the King of Davos, sanctions rethink, behind the scam, and much more…

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Russia economic meltdown as steel giant profits plunge 89% and airlines face total collapse. Russia’s largest steelmaker, MMK, has seen its profits crash in the first half of 2025, as the economy continues to struggle under the strains of war and sanctions. Express

How a Chinese Border Town Keeps Russia’s Economy Afloat NYT

🔥 TOP STORIES

The dizzying fall of the King of Davos Telegraph

Rethink sanctions. They’re killing as many people as war does. LAT

Behind the Scam: How Fraudsters Use Social Media, Software, and Shell Companies to Steal Millions OCCRP

BlackSuit ransomware gang’s darknet websites seized by police Record

Treasury Sanctions Venezuelan Cartel Headed by Maduro U.S. Treasury 

U.S. hits senior North Korean officials with sanctions, $3M bounties Record

Woman gets 8 years for aiding North Koreans infiltrate 300 U.S. firms BC 

Louis Vuitton faces money laundering probe after shopper drops $3.5M on luxury handbags NYP

The Ukrainian Police Agency at the Center of Protests Against Zelensky WSJ

Zelenskyy moves to restore independence of Ukraine anti-graft agencies after protests AP

How to Extract $400M From a Billionaire: Use a Gilded Age Family Name WSJ

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IN THE NEWS

🚩 RUSSIA & CHINA

In Russia, Corruption Cases Follow Battlefield Failures NYT 

Don’t bank on Russian economic collapse to save Ukraine Telegraph

Sanctions risk: Indian firm defends explosive shipment to Russia TOI 

Russian Entities Using Kyrgyzstan’s Crypto Industry to Evade Sanctions Decrypt

🔐 CRYPTO & CYBER

Elderly Americans Lose $745M to Scams in 2025 So Far Newsweek 

Microsoft says Warlock ransomware deployed in SharePoint attacks as governments scramble Record 

Crypto exchange WOO X suspends withdrawals, users hacked for $14M Protos 

How hackers stole $44M from CoinDCX without touching user wallets Cointelegraph

💸 CORRUPTION & FINANCIAL CRIME

Debit cards given to NYC’s summer youth job program tied to $17M ATM fraud scam NYP 

UnitedHealth says it's under federal investigation for civil fraud AP 

U.S. lifts some Myanmar sanctions Reuters 

Paraguayan Congressman Involved in Money Laundering Before Being Killed by Police OCCRP

The would-be saint murdered 'mafia-style' for refusing bribes BBC 

PPP fraud in Illinois sees nearly 375 government workers implicated CST

🚚 TRAFFICKING

Feds raid Tujunga home of ‘TikTok Cult’ pastor in sex trafficking, fraud investigation LAT

Seven Charged in Child Abuse Ring Run From an Alabama Bunker NBC 

UK launches first sanctions in new strategy to deter migrant crossings AFP

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