U.S. Treasury Finds NFTs Prone to Fraud and Scams

The U.S. Department of Treasury has released a 29-page report titled “Illicit Finance Risk Assessment of Non-Fungible Tokens,” highlighting potential risks associated with NFTs. The assessment reveals that while NFTs and their platforms are seldom used for activities such as proliferation financing, they are highly susceptible to fraud and scams. Traditional fraudulent schemes involving NFTs can result in stolen assets, and criminals often use NFTs to launder proceeds from crimes, employing techniques to obscure the illicit source of funds.

The report details how criminals exploit various vulnerabilities related to the unique characteristics of NFTs, the assets they represent, and existing regulatory frameworks both in the U.S. and internationally. Specific concerns include cybersecurity vulnerabilities, challenges with trademark and copyright protection, and the fluctuating hype and pricing of NFTs, which can facilitate fraud and theft. It also claims that the lack of appropriate controls in some NFT firms and platforms can jeopardize market integrity, facilitate money laundering and terrorist financing, and aid in sanctions evasion.

To mitigate these risks, the Treasury report examined several measures that can partially address the identified threats and vulnerabilities. These measures include industry tools, law enforcement actions and public announcements, the transparency of most blockchains, and existing regulations and requirements for industry participants. While these can help mitigate illicit finance risks, they are not comprehensive solutions.

The Treasury has outlined several areas for further work to address outstanding risks associated with NFTs:

1. Application of Regulations to NFTs and Raising Awareness: Authorities should consider developing regulations or guidance specific to NFTs, providing clarity on existing obligations for NFT platforms. This could involve issuing guidance, alerts, and advisories that highlight how current regulations apply to NFTs and increasing private sector outreach to raise awareness of regulatory obligations.
2. Enforcing Existing Laws and Regulations: Regulatory agencies should continue to supervise and enforce compliance among actors in the NFT sector, ensuring adherence to applicable obligations, including the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and sanctions obligations.
3. Private Sector Engagement: Continuous engagement with the private sector is crucial to understanding the evolving NFT ecosystem. Monitoring changes in NFT use cases and platforms will help assess their impact on anti-money laundering (AML) and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) obligations. NFT firms are encouraged to participate in cybersecurity programs like the CISA Cyber Hygiene Scanning Service and the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC).
4. Addressing Scams and Fraud: The government should collaborate with developers and industry stakeholders to foster innovation that mitigates the illicit finance risks associated with NFTs, particularly those related to scams and fraud.
5. Consumer Education: Providing educational materials to consumers can help improve their understanding of the rights associated with NFTs and reduce confusion. This can prevent them from falling victim to scams and fraud.
6. Engagement with Foreign Partners: The U.S. government should work with international partners to encourage risk assessments and develop policies addressing the illicit finance risks of NFTs and NFT platforms.

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