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In August , the crypto news website Web3 Is Going Just Greatpublished a postabout the arrest of Roman Ziemian , the founder of crypto trading platform FutureNet , whichis alleged to have defrauded victimsout of a combined $ 21 million .
For the intelligence land site ’s administrator , Molly White , a software engineer andone of the world ’s fiercest critics of the crypto industry , that was a routine billet . For years , White has document frauds , hacks , and scams perpetrated by influences , crypto project beginner , and web3 troupe on the website .
Then , last week , thing arrive a bit less routine .
On October 18 , a person who did not identify themselves but claimed to run a “ repute management troupe ” that clean up “ customer paradigm over the cyberspace , ” asked White to remove her X mail service about FutureNet and Ziemian , “ which is about my client . ”
The person then offered White a payoff of $ 200 to remove the corresponding post from Web3 Is Going Just heavy , according to a transcript of the telephone exchange that White shared with TechCrunch .
White decline the pass , arguing that there were no erroneous belief in her situation . The unnamed soul agreed , according to the response see by TechCrunch , but nevertheless upped the Leontyne Price to $ 500 .
White told TechCrunch that this “ is n’t the first fourth dimension someone has tried to restrain me into removing my actual coverage , and it wo n’t be the first time they succeed , ” but , White added , it was the first metre someone offered her money to do it .
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The unnamed someone did not react to TechCrunch ’s request for input .
A few twenty-four hour period later , someone name himself as a lawyer name Michael Woods emailed White . Citing the Digital Millennium Copyright Act , which governs U.S. copyright law , Woods alleged that White ’s post encroach right of first publication because , they claimed , “ this page capacity has been copy from our website , ” allot to the e-mail exchange that White also shared with TechCrunch .
Woods includeda linkup to a Blogspot websitecalled “ WP Media News ” that shows the precise word - for - word content from White ’s military post , allegedly from August 18 , 2024 , a Clarence Shepard Day Jr. before White ’s post and purportedly written by Woods themselves .
At first glance , the Blogspot situation looks like some sort of a contentedness farm filled with stacks of articles about various type of news , such as crypto fraud , sanction against Russians , and COVID-19 , move all the way back to 1995 , and all authored by Woods . ( TechCrunch found that the site was in part run onRankify , a service that offers to generate “ SEO optimized human - like content ” using AI . )
White told the purported lawyer that , “ there are penalty for file false DMCA claims . ” Woods reply by offer White $ 100 to “ for good remove ” the same blog post about Ziemian .
White declined the fling .
TechCrunch was ineffectual to ascertain if Woods is a veridical individual . The address Woods included in their electronic mail signature does not appear to exist in the real - world , as chink by TechCrunch . Wood listed an address in Los Angeles that seems to be a completely empty lot . And , there is no Michael Woods registered as a attorney in Los Angeles , according to the California State Bar website .
Wood did not answer to TechCrunch ’s petition for commentary transmit via electronic mail and in a voice mail .
TechCrunch institutionalize a petition for commentary to an email address used to register the FutureNet official website , but did not get a response .
White told TechCrunch : “ While I ’m always glad to issue corrections if I have made an mistake , I do not transfer position plainly because the people and company I save about do n’t care what I have to say . ”
“ If I did that , I suspect there would n’t be much left on my website , ” say White .
