Victims of a bank data breach are set to receive up to $3,000 each after a settlement was reached in a class action lawsuit.

According to the settlement administration portal, impacted customers at Arizona-based Evolve Bank & Trust who file a claim and provide documentary evidence of losses resulting from the data breach stand to receive up to $3,000.

A flat cash payment of $20 will also be available but claimants can only choose one or the other, not both.

“In addition to selection one of the Cash Payment options, Settlement Class Members may elect one (1) year of monitoring that will provide the following benefits: Credit Monitoring, real-time alerts, and insurance coverage for up to $1,000,000 for identity theft.”

Claims must be filed by October 30th. A final approval hearing of the settlement will be held on November 14th.

The lawsuit against Evolve Bank & Trust was filed in January and alleges that cybercriminals infiltrated the billion-dollar lender’s information systems and gained access to sensitive and confidential information.

In a notice to customers in July of 2024, Evolve Bank said the data breach had occurred between February and May of 2024.

“…it appears the criminals downloaded information from our databases and a file share that included names, Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, and contact information for most of our personal banking customers, as well as customers of our Open Banking partners. We have also learned that personal information relating to our employees was also likely affected.”

Evolve Bank & Trust, which started as First State Bank in 1925, is headquartered in West Memphis, Arizona. It boasts of around $1.6 billion in total assets and has five branches in the US.

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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

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Web3 MMORPG MapleStory N has faced a surge in cheating, automated bots, and game exploitation since launching in May, and is now banning thousands of abusers every day to address the issue.

The game, which allows players to earn cryptocurrency through in-game activity, has become a target for users looking to extract value through dishonest means including using bots to farm items and exploiting game mechanics to gain an unfair advantage.

Nexpace has implemented multiple security and economic measures in response, including improved cheat detection, delays on withdrawals, and mechanisms to contain and potentially reclaim compromised assets.

Key Insights

• Thousands of accounts are being banned daily in response to botting, cheating, and abuse
• A clawback mechanism is in place to recover digital assets from banned accounts
• Nexpace says abusers are spending more than they’re able to extract

How is MapleStory N fighting against abusers?

Nexpace has adopted several layered approaches to respond to the scale and speed of abuse targeting MapleStory N such as a 30-hour delay before users can withdraw in-game assets to external wallets. This matches the average detection window for accounts engaged in abnormal activity and by delaying withdrawals, the team aims to prevent dishonest players from profiting before they are banned.

The team has also restricted how assets move out of Henesys, MapleStory N’s dedicated Layer 1 blockchain, to help contain any damage from exploited assets and limits their reach beyond the game environment.

Cheat detection and monitoring systems have also been upgraded to track irregular gameplay patterns, including automated farming or use of exploits. Reports from players have helped highlight cases such as defeating endgame bosses with insufficient equipment—suggesting manipulation of game systems.

If a significant amount of the game’s economy is tied up in banned accounts, Nexpace says it can initiate a controlled “clawback” of assets. This function is secured through a multi-signature process and would only be used under exceptional circumstances, with community input.

What’s next for MapleStory N?

Nexpace acknowledges that MapleStory N’s open and low-friction onboarding system makes it easy for banned users to return with new wallets. The team is currently exploring options to introduce minimal barriers or verification methods that would deter repeated abuse without discouraging legitimate players.

Although the volume of abuse has been high, Nexpace says that most exploiters are spending more in the system than they are withdrawing. This reduces the long-term financial impact on the game’s ecosystem, but security measures will remain in place.

Future decisions, such as invoking the asset clawback mechanism, would involve the player community and depend on the scale of disruption. For now, Nexpace says the value of compromised assets is not high enough to warrant such action.

As MapleStory N continues to operate, the developers have stated they will maintain a strong focus on enforcement and monitoring to support fair play and stability within the blockchain-enabled game environment.

One of the largest banks in the US is preparing to pay millions of dollars to settle allegations that it bombarded thousands of people with illegal robocalls.

A federal judge in North Carolina has preliminarily approved a $4.1 million class action settlement between Truist Bank and cellphone users who say they were hit with the unwanted calls, reports The Charlotte Observer.

The lawsuit against Truist was filed by a class of 5,998 people with Kevin Truong, a resident of Texas, serving as the lead plaintiff.

Truong says he received at least 35 robocalls from Truist Bank between September 14th and December 31st of 2021.

According to the complaint, Truong was neither a customer of the Charlotte, North Carolina-based bank, nor had he consented to receiving the calls.

“These calls injured Plaintiff by invading his privacy, interfering with his cellular telephone, and wasting his time.”

The suit alleges the robocalls, which originated from call centers and were intended to locate or collect payments from the bank’s customers, violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991.

Among other things, the Act prohibits making robocalls to a “cellular telephone service” or “initiating any call to a residential telephone line using an APV [artificial or prerecorded voice] to deliver a message without the consent of the called party.”

While Truist Bank denies liability in the lawsuit, it has agreed to settle to avoid the expenses and uncertainty associated with a lengthy trial. Class members could each receive approximately $440, per the report.

As of December 31st of 2024, Truist Bank had a little over $523 billion in total assets, according to the Federal Reserve.

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The small businesses that make up Main Street face a hidden cost on every transaction. When you pay with a card at your local coffee shop, bookstore, or restaurant, that business loses 2.5-3.5% to processing fees while waiting days to receive their money.

These costs and delays hit neighborhood stores harder than big chains. It affects everything from pricing to inventory management. As SpacePay reaches $1 million in presale funding with tokens at $0.003181, its approach to lower fees and faster payments could potentially change how local businesses operate.

Local Businesses Feel the Squeeze from Payment Fees

Small neighborhood shops face a financial burden that many customers never see. When you pay with a card at a local bookstore or family-owned cafe, the business loses a meaningful portion of that sale to processing fees.

For a corner bakery with typical 10-15% profit margins, a 3% card fee is nearly a quarter of its potential earnings on each transaction. As card usage grows and cash payments decline year over year, these fees create mounting pressure on Main Street businesses.

The math is different for independent stores than for national chains. A family restaurant processing $30,000 monthly in card payments loses $900 to traditional fees.

Large chains can negotiate better rates based on volume, sometimes paying half what independent businesses do for the same service.

Settlement delays compound these challenges for neighborhood businesses that lack deep cash reserves. When weekend sales remain unavailable until Wednesday or Thursday, small retailers often delay vendor payments or miss opportunities for timely inventory purchases.

Shopping With and Without SpacePay

The morning starts with coffee at the neighborhood cafe. Under traditional payment systems, the $5 latte costs the shop about 15-17 cents in processing fees when paid by card.

The payment won’t reach their account until midweek, creating a cash flow gap between serving customers and accessing earnings. With SpacePay’s model, the same purchase would cost the cafe just 2.5 cents in fees, and the money would be available immediately for purchasing fresh ingredients or paying staff.

Lunchtime at a local restaurant reveals more differences in payment impacts. When four friends split a $100 bill using cards, the restaurant loses $3 to processing under current systems. The faster settlement could allow the restaurant to pay their food supplier that afternoon rather than waiting for card payments to clear days later.

Afternoon shopping at a family-owned clothing boutique shows how payment timing affects inventory management. With traditional systems, weekend sales remain unavailable for restocking decisions until midweek. Immediate fund access could allow the owner to place restocking orders the same day items sell out.

Main Street Benefits If Payment Costs Drop

Lower payment fees could directly affect local pricing decisions. Many small businesses currently build card processing costs into their price structures.

The community economic cycle improves when more money stays with local merchants. When neighborhood businesses keep an additional 2.5% of their sales, those funds recirculate locally through supplier purchases, staff wages, and owner spending.

Small business hiring decisions feel the impact of seemingly small fee percentages. A family restaurant saving $800 monthly in processing fees gains nearly enough to hire an additional part-time staff member.

The Road from Presale to Local Adoption

SpacePay’s presale milestone of $1 million with tokens at $0.003181 marks early progress, but bringing this payment system to neighborhood stores needs several practical steps.

Local merchant adoption typically follows community patterns rather than individual decisions. When several businesses in a shopping district begin using a new payment method, others tend to follow upon seeing actual results from their neighbors.

SpacePay has achieved several milestones in its development journey. The platform secured $750,000 from private investors who recognized its potential to change payment processing with lower fees and faster settlements. This early funding provided the foundation for building the core technology that connects over 325 crypto wallets to standard payment terminals.

The successful completion of comprehensive Smart Contract Audits verified that the system processes transactions securely while protecting merchant funds.

The platform earned industry recognition by winning the “New Payment Platform of the Year” award at the CorporateLiveWire Global Awards 2022/23, which validates its practical approach to solving merchant payment challenges.

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The post Why SpacePay Could Save Small Businesses Thousands in Payment Fees appeared first on Cryptonews.

A massive data breach exposed thousands of Capital One customers’ sensitive data, putting them at lifelong risk of identity theft, a new class action lawsuit claims.

Filed by plaintiff Andrew Willoughby, the suit alleges Capital One Financial Corporation, Capital One N.A. and Capital One Bank (USA) N.A. entities exposed its customers’ personal identifiable information (PII) due to an employee’s negligence.

The suit alleges that because of inadequately protected computer systems, customers’ names, Social Security numbers, addresses, email addresses, dates of birth, telephone numbers, credit card numbers, transaction history, and other financial information exposed via a data breach.

The breach happened between August 11, 2022 and May 22, 2023, when an “unauthorized actor” accessed client PII due to the employee’s “failure to maintain an adequate security system,” according to the lawsuit.

The Capital One employee also allegedly delayed informing the plaintiffs of what happened in time to save them from potential identity theft crimes.

Says the complaint,

“Due to Defendants’ negligence, cybercriminals obtained everything they need to commit identity theft and wreak havoc on the financial and personal lives of thousands of individuals…

Defendants were negligent and failed to inform Plaintiff and the Class Members of the data breach in time for them to protect themselves from identity theft.”

Now, the suit alleges that “for the rest of their lives,” Capital One customers will have to face the threat of identity thieves possessing or misusing their personal information via the dark web.

“The unencrypted PII of Plaintiff and Class Members may end up for sale on the dark web or simply fall into the hands of companies that will use the detailed PII for targeted marketing without the approval of Plaintiff and Class Members. Unauthorized individuals can easily access the PII of Plaintiff and Class Members.”

Capital One was also recently accused of engaging in “cancel culture” by President Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump.

The bank has $490.1 billion in total assets as of the end of last year.

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The FBI’s initiative to counter crypto investment fraud has helped thousands of victims avoid losing millions of dollars since its launch, according to a Feb. 13 press release.

Dubbed Operation Level Up, the program proactively identifies individuals in the midst of being scammed and intervenes before they lose their money.

Since its launch, the initiative has saved more than 4,300 potential victims from collectively losing an estimated $285 million, according to the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.

James Barnacle, deputy assistant director of the division, said:

“It’s a growing problem, and it’s a big problem affecting many Americans.”

Identifying victims before losses

Crypto investment fraud, often referred to as “pig butchering,” involves scammers cultivating online relationships — romantic, professional, or platonic — before luring victims into fraudulent investment schemes.

These fraudsters use fabricated trading platforms that display inflated returns, leading victims to pour more money into the scam. When they attempt to withdraw their funds, they are denied access.

Under Operation Level Up, the FBI tracks these scams in real-time and directly contacts victims before they commit additional funds. One targeted investor, planning to invest another $1 million, was warned in time by the FBI, while another was about to sell her home for a $500,000 investment before receiving an intervention call.

Beyond financial losses, victims often face emotional devastation. Some require support services or suicide intervention, underscoring the psychological toll of these scams, according to the FBI.

The FBI is urging the public to be cautious of unsolicited investment opportunities, especially those involving crypto. Operation Level Up not only warns potential victims but also gathers intelligence to track and dismantle the criminal networks behind these frauds.

The FBI is collaborating with domestic and international partners to shut down illicit domains and accounts. Financial institutions and private companies receive alerts on fraudulent platforms to prevent further transactions.

Multi-billion dollar industry

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reported $3.9 billion in crypto investment fraud losses in 2023. Meanwhile, “pig butchering” alone accounted for $3.6 billion in losses globally in 2024.

Officials believe the true figure is even higher, as many victims do not report or underreport their losses. On average, 3,200 complaints related to crypto scams are filed with IC3 each month.

Scammers target victims through social media, professional networking sites, text messages, investment groups, and dating platforms, often convincing even tech-savvy individuals to invest. Many victims, aged 30 to 60, are drawn in by the promise of financial security and high returns.

For those who suspect they are victims of crypto fraud, the FBI advises contacting their bank immediately and filing a complaint with the relevant law enforcement agencies. It also encouraged individuals to discuss potential scams with friends and family to prevent further victimization.

To say that we are thrilled about this new release would be an understatement. It. Is. Happening. The Zashi-Flexa integration is here! This powerful update allows Zashi users to seamlessly spend their ZEC at thousands of retail locations that accept Flexa as a payment option.

What Is Flexa and Why Is This Important?

Flexa’s groundbreaking payments network enables secure, fraud-proof cryptocurrency transactions at thousands of merchants in the US, Canada, and El Salvador, with new locations and merchants in the works. Like Zashi, Flexa is deeply committed to user privacy. While Flexa is required to ask for some identifying information in order to bridge the gap between cryptocurrencies and traditional systems, it never collects or stores more than is absolutely required by law, never shares it with third parties, and deletes it as soon as legally allowed. This shared commitment to user privacy makes Flexa the perfect partner for Zashi, aligning with our own principles where we strive to know close to nothing about Zashi users and their wallet activity and protect them from any metadata leakage at every turn.

This integration marks a significant milestone for Zcash, bridging the gap between digital currency and real-world usability. It empowers ZEC holders to not only store and spend their shielded ZEC but also spend it easily in their daily lives. With this integration, Zashi users can now use their ZEC to pay for everyday purchases, from coffee and groceries to clothes and kitchen appliances—all while minimizing the risks to their privacy and security associated with traditional forms of payment.

How It Works:

Follow these steps to make your first purchase with Flexa:

1. Make sure there’s ZEC in your Zashi wallet. In the U.S., if you’re new to Zcash and prefer not to register with a crypto exchange, you can use Zashi’s Coinbase integration to purchase ZEC directly within Zashi using your debit card. All you need is a U.S. debit card, a U.S. phone number, and just a few minutes.
2. Inside Zashi, click the hamburger icon to navigate to Settings, and then choose Integrations.
3. Open Flexa and go through a quick registration process.
4. Choose the merchant you want to pay.
5. Generate a payment code in the app and scan it at checkout. (Note: sometimes the QR code must be scanned by the cashier as a gift card.)
6. Your shielded ZEC will be instantly sent and processed through Flexa’s payment network.
7. The merchant receives your payment in their chosen currency. All they know is that the payment is complete—they won’t know anything about you, not even the currency you used.

It’s that easy! Fast, smooth, private transactions using the most reliable privacy coin out there. Magic.

Why We’re Excited:

Zashi’s mission is to make Zcash as usable as possible while maintaining the privacy and security that Zcash is famous for. With this Flexa integration, we’re unlocking an entirely new use case for ZEC, turning it into a true form of digital cash that can be spent wherever Flexa is accepted. “For the first time in history, instant payments with shielded ZEC are available at thousands of retail locations,” said ECC’s CEO Josh Swihart. “This is an epic, long-awaited milestone for Zcash. Zashi empowers users to make private, secure payments effortlessly through Flexa, bringing us closer to a world where true financial privacy is standard.”

Get Started Today:

Make sure your Zashi wallet is updated to the latest version to start paying with Flexa.

The app is available on App Store and Google Play.

Try it out at one of the many Flexa locations and let us know what you think. We genuinely can’t wait to see how you use this new feature in your daily lives! In the absence of user analytics to protect your data, we rely on your feedback in improving Zashi and shaping the future Zcash. And if you love it, help us show it off. So, share your experiences and don’t forget to tag us!

 Here’s to making Zcash more accessible and usable for everyone, everywhere! Here’s to Zashi-Flexa!

 Happy transacting.