Commentary

Wirecard saga is a clear warning to expect more fraud in cryptoland

Two years on from the collapse of the payments firm, we still haven’t learnt our lesson

Two years later, as the trillion-dollar crypto-bubble deflates, revealing increasing evidence of scams, Wirecard provides an even-starker warning
Two years later, as the trillion-dollar crypto-bubble deflates, revealing increasing evidence of scams, Wirecard provides an even-starker warning Photo: Getty Images

If you are feeling nervous about the state of the financial world, I have a suggestion: don’t read Money Men, the new book on the Wirecard fraud by the FT’s Dan McCrum. It will make you even more anxious.

The implosion of Wirecard was chilling enough when it happened, collapsing into insolvency on 25 June 2020. The fact that for years some of the world’s leading investors, analysts, auditors and regulators ignored clear warning signs at the German payments company made you wonder what other frauds were being perpetrated in plain sight.

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