Money laundering through stablecoins

Stablecoins like tether, a cryptocurrency whose value is pegged to the dollar, are revolutionising the way criminal groups move their money. Cash-rich criminals are always on the hunt for ways to launder their money, while ransomware gangs need to make their crypto useful. Tether, a digital coin pegged to the value of the dollar, solved both their problems. With none of the checks that a bank transfer must go through and low fees, tether’s business model allows users to move vast sums across international borders almost instantaneously. A new generation of money launderers is leveraging this technology to the benefit of their clients. Embraced by the Trump administration, the crypto industry is becoming respectable. However, Russian oligarchs, drug gangs, and ransomware hackers are building a global shadow economy powered by stablecoins.

(Adapted from “How Tether Became Money-Launderers’ Dream Currency,” published by Oliver Bullough on July 4, 2025, by The Economist)

Measles on a 33-year high

Measles cases in the US have hit a three-decade high, reaching the highest yearly total since 1992 in less than seven months, according to data released by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. At least 1,288 measles cases have been reported across the US just over halfway through the year, surpassing the 1,274 cases reported in 2019, when outbreaks in New York pushed the national case count to its highest level in decades at the time. More than 90pc of those infected with measles so far this year were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccine status, according to the CDC. Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine are 97pc effective at preventing measles. The vaccine-preventable disease in 2025 has hospitalised hundreds and resulted in the first US measles-related deaths in a decade.

(Adapted from “US Measles Cases Climb to 33-Year High,” by Heidi Mitchell, published on June 9, 2025, by the Wall Street Journal)

Coupons are passé

Now might seem like the perfect time for people to be loading up on coupons. Prices for all kinds of everyday items, like deodorant or a cup of coffee, are much higher than they were a few years ago, and lots of Americans are nervous about the economy. But clipping paper coupons has fallen by the wayside in a world where people have less time to spare and increasingly spend their money digitally. Extreme cost-cutters have pivoted to credit card points and loyalty programs. RRD, a marketing and commercial-printing services company, calculates that marketers distributed 50bn coupons last year, down from more than 330bn in 2010. About 750m coupons were redeemed last year, the company estimates, down from 3.3bn in 2010. The huge majority of coupons that get distributed today, about 87pc, are still on paper, but nearly two-thirds of coupons actually redeemed are digital.

(Adapted from “How Coupons Became Passé, Even In A High-Price World,” by Heidi Mitchell, published on June 9, 2025, by the Wall Street Journal)

Risks of ‘unsubscribe’

Think twice before you click “unsubscribe” at the bottom of all those pesky emails flooding your inbox. Cybersecurity experts warn that, in many instances, it might do more harm than good. DNSFilter has found that one in every 644 clicks on unsubscribe links that say “click here to unsubscribe” leads users to potentially malicious websites. The lowest risk is that bad actors who have acquired your email address are testing to see if it is a live one, experts say. Another risk associated with unsubscribe links is that they will send you to a fake but authentic-looking webpage, where criminals try to trick you into providing your login credentials or attempt to install malware on your device. Experts say it’s usually OK to use “list-unsubscribe headers” — the built-in, hyperlinked buttons maintained by many email service providers and positioned in the heading of emails that give users an easy way to opt out of emails.

(Adapted from “Think Twice Before You Click ‘Unsubscribe’,” by Heidi Mitchell, published on June 9, 2025, by the Wall Street Journal)

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, July 14th, 2025