A 21-year-old man allegedly took his own life while awaiting sentencing for his involvement in an NFT scam known as a "Rug Pull."
NFT Scam and Conviction
Berman Jerry Nowlin, accused of fraud and money laundering, reportedly died by suicide. In November 2024, Nowlin was found guilty of participating in an NFT scheme that defrauded investors of $400,000. Together with 25-year-old Devin Alan Rhoden, he successfully launched two NFT collections, "Undead Apes" and "Undead Lady Apes," before abruptly canceling a third, "Undead Tombstone."
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the duo attracted investors with false claims, including fabricated partnerships with prominent companies and promises of benefits for NFT holders. After collecting payments, the team deleted their Discord and Twitter accounts, a move classified as a classic "Rug Pull."
Impact on Family and Defense
Nowlin's family revealed that he fell into a deep depression following his conviction. His mother claimed he was an unwitting participant in the scheme and placed the blame on Rhoden.
"In his eyes, I don’t think he believed he did anything wrong," said his brother, Daniel Barker. "My brother was just a young, naive kid who was taken advantage of."
According to Nowlin's lawyer, J. Jervis Wise, Nowlin was merely a technical developer for the project, while Rhoden handled the marketing. "He had no knowledge of the fraudulent plans," Wise stated.
Evidence of Money Laundering
Despite the defense, the Department of Justice presented evidence of Nowlin’s direct involvement. Investigations revealed that he laundered money using "chain-hopping" and illegal cryptocurrency mixers to obscure the movement of funds. These funds were traced directly to his personal bank account.
A Tragic End
Nowlin faced up to five years in federal prison, with sentencing scheduled for January 2025. However, on December 21, 2024, he was found dead at his home in Alabama. The cause of death remains officially unclear, but his family stated it was suicide.
This tragic case highlights the immense pressure and consequences faced by young individuals navigating the challenges of the digital world.

#nft , #Rugpull , #cybercrime , #blockchain , #MoneyLaundering

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In late 2021, scammers turned the global hype around Netflix’s Squid Game into a crypto nightmare. By launching the Squid Game Token (SQUID), they exploited public interest to steal $3.3 million in a textbook rug pull.
🚨 What Happened?
Scammers launched SQUID in October 2021, promising a play-to-earn gaming platform inspired by the hit show.SQUID skyrocketed from pennies to $2,860 within weeks, driven by media buzz and FOMO.On November 1, 2021, the price crashed to zero as the scammers disappeared, leaving investors with nothing.
💡 How They Tricked Investors:
Marketing implied a connection to Netflix and Squid Game, though none existed.Investors could buy but not sell tokens, masked as a game feature requiring additional purchases of “marbles.”FOMO, rising prices, and promises of massive returns kept investors hooked despite clear red flags.
🚩 Missed Warning Signs:
No official tie to Netflix or Squid Game.A poorly designed website with grammatical errors.Restricted selling, a classic rug-pull tactic.
📉 Lessons Learned:
Do Your Homework: Always verify claims of affiliation with major brands or projects.Beware of Selling Restrictions: Tokens you can’t sell are a glaring red flag.Anonymous Teams: Extra scrutiny is crucial when a project’s creators hide their identities.
🛡️ Avoiding Future Scams:
This event is a cautionary tale for all investors. Don’t let cultural excitement cloud your judgment, and always prioritize due diligence over hype.
📢 What Do You Think?
Have scams like this affected your crypto journey? Share your insights in the comments below.
#Cryptoscam #Rugpull #SquidGameToken #TheCoinRepublic #CryptoNews

#Share #MEXC #rugpull Recently, there have been rumors on social media about the MEXC_CEO Twitter account. We sorry for any confusion caused by this incident and would like to clarify the following:Timeline of MEXC CEO's account:🔹In the early stages of MEXC's global market development: MEXC platform did use the Twitter account MEXC_CEO for promotion and maintaining brand image, engaging with users and project partners on Twitter.🔹July 2022: The original CEO left the position.🔹December 2022: The original CEO officially resigned from MEXC. The Twitter account MEXC_CEO was never officially verified by the MEXC platform, and due to its minimal content and followers, MEXC did not make a specific announcement (this is the fundamental reason for the widespread misunderstanding caused by the deletion of this account).🔹December 2023: Fans reported the deletion of the MEXC_CEO Twitter account. The individual associated with this account has no actual connection with MEXC Official.We sincerely apologize for any confusion caused by this incident. In the future, MEXC will handle such events more cautiously, and we have reflected on and made the following improvements:1. We’ve removed all interactive tweets from the former CEO, with no further explanations to avoid additional misunderstandings.2. Going forward, we will make public announcements of all significant personnel changes involving official media accounts.3. All official accounts on the MEXC platform are verified on the MEXC official verification platform: mexc.com/official-verify.MEXC's growth is inseparable from the understanding, trust, and support of our users and fans. We appreciate your feedback on all issues, and will make improvements accordingly.Thank you once again for your support. Merry Christmas to you all!MEXC Team

Rug pulls are a major concern in the cryptocurrency world, and it's important to be aware of the signs so you can protect yourself from losing money. Here are 10 tell-tale signs of a crypto rug pull:
Unkown development team: If the team behind the cryptocurrency is anonymous or unknown, it's a major red flag. Reputable projects have teams with public identities and proven track records.Locked liquidity: Liquidity refers to the ease with which a cryptocurrency can be bought or sold. If the liquidity is locked, it means that investors cannot easily sell their tokens, which is a major sign of a rug pull.Hype marketing: If the marketing for a cryptocurrency is all about hype and promises of quick riches, it's a sign that the project is more interested in taking your money than in building a sustainable product.Unrealistic returns: If a cryptocurrency is promising returns that are too good to be true, they probably are. Rug pullers often lure investors in with promises of massive gains.Complex tokenomics: If the tokenomics of a cryptocurrency are complex and difficult to understand, it's a sign that the project may be trying to hide something.No whitepaper: A whitepaper is a document that outlines the technical details of a cryptocurrency project. If there is no whitepaper, it's a major red flag.Unsigned audits: An audit is an independent review of a cryptocurrency project's code. If the code has not been audited by a reputable firm, it's a sign that the project may be hiding something.Social media shilling: If the only social media activity for a cryptocurrency is from anonymous accounts shilling the project, it's a sign that the project is not legitimate.Disabled comments: If the comments are disabled on a cryptocurrency's social media channels, it's a sign that the project is trying to control the narrative and prevent negative feedback.Inactivity from the development team: If the development team behind a cryptocurrency is inactive and not communicating with the community, it's a sign that they may be planning to rug pull.
#rugpull #CryptoScamAlert #CryptoScamAwareness