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Tehran Squeeze, Fraud Task Force, and Fake Prince
Illicit Edge - Edition for March 17, 2026
Hello Tuesday! It’s March 17, and we’re tracking today’s top stories: How to Keep Up the Economic Pressure Against Iran, Trump formally names Vance chair of fraud task force, 'Fake Prince' Arrested in Nigeria as Another Victim of the Romance Scam Comes Forward, LA teen hitmen hired by Mexican cartel to rub out rival in Chili’s murder plot learn their fate, and much more…
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🎯 FEATURED STORY
How to Keep Up the Economic Pressure Against Iran. If the shooting stops and the regime is still in power, the U.S. can still strike at its financial lifeline. WSJ
🔥 TOP STORIES
Trump formally names Vance chair of fraud task force — with California, New York among states in crosshairs NY Post
'Fake Prince' Arrested in Nigeria as Another Victim of the Romance Scam Comes Forward OCCRP
LA teen hitmen hired by Mexican cartel to rub out rival in Chili’s murder plot learn their fate NY Post
U.S. fugitive captured in Mexico 73 minutes after being added to FBI's most wanted list, fastest arrest in history CBS News
EU sanctions nine people over Bucha massacre, four for information manipulation Reuters
EU sanctions Iran group that hacked Charlie Hebdo Politico
INTERPOL report warns of increasingly sophisticated global financial fraud threat INTERPOL
Bank of America settles over Epstein claims BBC
Hack on U.S. Medical Company Shows Reach of Iran's Cyber Capabilities WSJ
South Korea fines Bithumb $24M, orders 6-month partial suspension over AML violations CoinDesk
Bolivia Captures One of South America's Most Wanted Drug Lords, Extraditing Him to U.S. OCCRP
US, UK, and Canada launch 'Operation Atlantic' to tackle crypto fraud Protos
EU agrees on rollover of Russia sanctions Politico
IN THE NEWS
🚩 RUSSIA & CHINA
Russians Turn to Cash as Card Blocks, Mobile Internet Outages Erode Trust in Digital Payments The Moscow Times
Inside the coconut cartel: how Chinese money squeezes Thai farmers SCMP
Russia fines Telegram app $432,366 for failing to remove banned content Reuters
Mapping the global crackdown on shadow fleets CBC
🚀 SANCTIONS & TERROR
With dogs, dance and uncovered hair, Iranians defy 'unholy alliance' of socialists, radicals: 'Hypocrites!' Fox News
Ex-UFC Fighter and Kinahan 'Friend' Mounir Lazzez Linked to Iran Sanctions Bellingcat
Trump administration opposes Maduro's request to dismiss drug trafficking case NBC News
Mossad hunts Iranian terror cells abroad as officials warn restraints are off Ynet
💸 CORRUPTION & FINANCIAL CRIME
Lobbyist tied to pardon from Trump charged with attempted extortion CNN
Federal Reserve Board issues enforcement actions with former employee of Equity Bank and former employee of First State Bank of Dongola Federal Reserve
Madagascar's Transitional Leader Taps Anti-Corruption Expert as Prime Minister OCCRP
A $15M secret, an immigrant and a musician at heart of Detroit caper Detroit News
Billions for Gaza? First confront the corruption problem. Ynet
Eleven Indian Nationals Charged with Visa Fraud Conspiracy DOJ
German Prosecutors Target Providers of Software Used to Steal Millions in Online Trading Scams OCCRP
Owners and CEO of Wholesale Pharmaceutical Company Sentenced for Distributing More Than $92M of Black-Market HIV Drugs DOJ
🔐 CRYPTO & CYBER
Supply-chain attack using invisible code hits GitHub and other repositories Ars Technica
Fake rooms, props and a script to lure victims: inside an abandoned Cambodia scam center The Guardian
Laundering Dirty Crypto in Cambodia The Diplomat
Crypto crime on the rise in Spain's Basque Country DL News
How Florida's Stablecoin Bill Mirrors 'Big Brother' Tools Outlawed Under Ron DeSantis' CDBC Ban - Decrypt Decrypt
Singapore warns of illicit funds in popular low-tax investment vehicles FT
🚚 TRAFFICKING
A new crime map for Mexico El País
Mexican Firearms Smuggler Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison, $15,000 Fine in Del Rio DOJ
The Rise and Fall of Sebastián Marset InSight Crime
"All your life, you will be faced with a choice. You can choose love or hate … I choose love." —Johnny Cash
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