Deepfake scammers Targeted Government Officials and Crypto Leaders

By: bitcoin ethereum news|2025/05/16 18:30:08

FBI warns hackers using deepfake voice and text to impersonate senior US officials since April. Government account breaches could lead to cascading attacks through trusted contact networks. Crypto leader Sandeep Narwal reports scammers using deepfakes in Zoom calls to distribute malware. Federal authorities have issued an urgent warning about sophisticated deepfake scams targeting high-profile individuals across the government and cryptocurrency sectors. The FBI reported yesterday that hackers are employing artificial intelligence to impersonate senior U.S. officials in an elaborate phishing campaign that began in April. Government Officials and Crypto Founders Under Attack The FBI’s May 15 advisory states that scammers are using deepfake voice and text messages to develop trust with victims who are often current or former federal and state officials. The attackers want to gain access to government accounts, and this could result in many security issues as they use trusted channels. “If you get a message that says it’s from a high-ranking US official, don’t believe it right away,” said the FBI in its statement. It was revealed that hackers are leading victims to unsafe links and fake websites made to steal people’s passwords. As soon as they get this data, scammers can reach out to even more people, increasing the risk of further attacks. In the same way, those leading in the cryptocurrency industry are experiencing similar complex attacks. On May 13, Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder of Polygon, revealed that scammers gained access to his colleague’s Telegram account and made fake Zoom calls using deepfakes of him and others. When audio was turned off, the victims were told to install harmful software, which affected their systems. Nailwal pointed out that the attack vector is very scary, and several people had contacted him to check if the calls were suspicious. It is recommended by security professionals to take several steps to protect yourself from these scams. The FBI advises checking who the sender is, checking for any inconsistencies in messages, and using multi-factor authentication. Nailwal recommends not installing software when something unexpected happens and always using a different device for cryptocurrency wallets. As AI becomes more advanced, these deepfake schemes are becoming a bigger risk that everyone in both the public and private sectors needs to watch out for. Highlighted Crypto News Today: ‌Meliuz Becomes Brazil’s First Public Bitcoin Treasury Company Source: https://thenewscrypto.com/deepfake-scammers-targeted-government-officials-and-crypto-leaders/

On March 4, 2026, DDC Enterprise Limited (NYSE American: DDC) today announced preliminary, unaudited full-year financial performance for the year ended December 31, 2025. The company expects to achieve record revenue and record positive adjusted EBITDA, primarily driven by continued growth in its core consumer food business and overall margin improvement. The final audited financial report is expected to be released in mid-April 2026.

2025 Full-Year Financial Highlights

Revenue: Expected to be between $39 million and $41 million, reaching a new company high.

Organic Growth: Excluding the impact of the company's strategic contraction of its U.S. operations, core revenue is expected to grow 11% to 17% year over year.

Gross Profit Margin: Expected to be between 28% and 30%, reflecting continued operational efficiency improvements.

Adjusted EBITDA: The company expects to achieve a positive full-year result in 2025, a significant improvement from a $3.5 million loss in 2024, mainly due to rigorous cost controls and a higher-margin sales mix.

Core Consumer Food Business Performance

In 2025, DDC's core consumer food business maintained strong operational performance.

The company also disclosed Core Consumer Food Business Adjusted EBITDA, a metric that further excludes costs related to its Bitcoin reserve strategy and non-cash fair value adjustments related to its Bitcoin holdings from adjusted EBITDA to more accurately reflect the core business performance.

In 2025, Core Consumer Food Business Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be between $5.5 million and $6 million.

Bitcoin Reserve Update

In the first half of 2025, DDC initiated a long-term Bitcoin accumulation strategy, holding Bitcoin as its primary reserve asset.

As of December 31, 2025: The company holds 1,183 BTC.

As of February 28, 2026: Holdings increased to 2,118 BTC

Today's additional purchase of 65 BTC brings the company's total holdings to 2,183 BTC

DDC Founder, Chairman, and CEO Norma Chu stated, "We are proud to have closed 2025 with record revenue and positive adjusted EBITDA, demonstrating the steady growth of the company's consumer food business and the ongoing improvement in profitability. We are building a disciplined, growth-oriented food platform and strategically allocating capital to Bitcoin assets with a long-term view, aligning with our core beliefs. We believe that this dual-track model of 'Steady Consumer Business + Strategic Bitcoin Reserve' will help DDC create lasting long-term value for shareholders."

Adjusted EBITDA Definition
For the full year 2025, the company defines "Adjusted EBITDA" (a non-GAAP financial measure) as: Net income / (loss) excluding the following items:· Interest expense· Taxes· Foreign exchange gains/losses· Long-lived asset impairment· Depreciation and amortization· Non-cash fair value changes related to financial instruments (including Bitcoin holdings)· Stock-based compensation

About DDC Enterprise Limited

DDC Enterprise Limited (NYSE: DDC) is actively implementing its corporate Bitcoin Treasury strategy while continuing to strengthen its position as a leading global Asian food platform.

The company has established Bitcoin as a core reserve asset and is executing a prudent, long-oriented accumulation strategy. While expanding its portfolio of food brands, DDC is gradually becoming one of the public company pioneers in integrating Bitcoin into its corporate financial architecture.

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DDC Enterprise Limited Announces 2025 Unaudited Preliminary Financial Performance: Record Revenue Achieved, Bitcoin Treasury Grows to 2183 Coins