21st December 2024 > > A shocking event, a poor choice, & a clever scam.

tl;dr

An event that has honestly shocked me. I am out of a specific crypto I should never have got involved with. A look at one very clever scam.

Market Snap

Market Wrap

How is that for central-bank inspired volatility? Jerome Powell, Chair of the Failing and Flailing Fed, forced out weak hands down to $92k yesterday afternoon with his inaccurate pontifications on the future trajectory of interest rate cuts. This panic from speculators was met with a resounding BTFD from real investors taking us back over $99k from which we have retraced a touch.

The coming days will likely see more volatility, but that should not worry long-term investors holding spot, and might throw up some interesting alt opportunities utilising some egregious offers.

Curious Cryptos’ meme corner (h/t Milk Road)

Occasional Series – My oh my

It is fairly safe to assume that my local MP, Dianne Abbot, who represents Hackney North and Stoke Newington (the latter part being the important bit from my perspective), and I have rarely seen eye to eye. Indeed, despite my resolute politeness at all times, Abbot no longer answers my letters. Either they are too trivial for her, or too difficult for her to answer. I leave it up to you to decide which of those is the more likely reason for her ignoring me. To be honest, it could go either way …

But I do feel duty-bound to report that for the very first time, Diane and I are in agreement with one another. Granny Harmer Starmer has rowed back on his unimpeachable promise to compensate women for the rise in pensionable age that is applicable only to women. I agree that in the battle for women’s rights, it is only fair that men’s and women’s pensionable ages are made the same. That much is obvious, and one can argue whether there should be compensation for that or not. But the promise was made, and that promise has been comprehensively broken.

Let us not forget that Sir Keir Free Gear Starmer has his own specifically designed pension plan incorporated in law by the use of a Statutory Instrument in Parliament (that required no debate nor vote) that excludes his own specifically designed pension plan from the restrictions that the rest of us suffer. Which does suggest either a certain element of double standards, or perhaps just plain greed.

Diane, I salute you for your stance on this particular topic, and your excoriating demolition of Never Here Sir Keir whilst he was off dealing with problems in other countries, rather than the more pressing ones in the UK. Your oration was a masterclass in professionalism.

I do sincerely hope that this is not the last time we find common ground.

Curious Cryptos’ Commentary – MATIC/POL

The CCC does not provide investment advice.

But if anyone out there is still holding MATIC/POL, may I gently suggest you take a long, a very long, look in the mirror and try to figure out if you are a wise person or not. I can give a little more insight on personal email if you so wish.

Curious Cryptos’ Commentary – A very clever scam

As crypto prices ratchet up, so does the number of scams. This is a clever one.

For once, the feral scummy scammers have decided to eschew including punctuation and spelling errors, which are normally deliberately inserted as a filtering mechanism – if you don’t spot the obvious errors, you are more likely to fall for the scam. In this case, the feral scummy scammers realise that Ledger users are the smart ones, so perfectly written text is important.

The basic concept – clear signing – is a riff on the new range of Ledger products which show better information in a clearer format, so that is a hook which has credibility.

The key giveaway though is this:

“Urgent Action Required: Activate by December 22, 2024

To ensure the safety of your funds, we strongly urge you to activate Ledger Clear Sign before December 22, 2024. Transactions made without this feature after the deadline may leave your funds vulnerable to potential risks.”

As soon as you see a deadline expressed in that manner, you know it is a scam. I also spotted as further confirmation, not that it was required, that the social media links at the bottom of the email do not work.

Anyone who connects their Ledger device will find that their wallets are emptied forthwith.

…

Remember what you must say when you come across these people in person, or far more probably online?

“I hope you die a prolonged and exceedingly painful death at the hands of the psychotic torturer who was Doctor Lecter’s inspiration, whilst your loved ones and family stand around, pointing at you, and laughing so loudly in your miserable little face.”

Or something similar. You get the drift.