Ponzi


Policy

U.S. SEC Charges Two Brothers in $60M Ponzi Scam Using a Crypto Platform

The complaint alleges that the duo falsely told investors about one of them creating a “bot” that operated on a crypto asset trading platform.

SEC office (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)

Policy

2 Promoters of Forcount Crypto Ponzi Scheme Plead Guilty to Wire Fraud Conspiracy

Promoters of the Brazil-based crypto scam stole a collective $8.4 million from Spanish-speaking investors around the world.

Crime (niu niu / Unsplash)

Policy

Canada’s ‘Crypto King’ and Associate Arrested, Charged With Fraud in Alleged $30M Ponzi Scheme

Aiden Pleterski, 25, was reportedly kidnapped, beaten and tortured by five of his alleged victims last summer.

Crime (niu niu / Unsplash)

Tech

Blast's One-Week, $600M Haul Shows Promise of Yield, Pitfalls of Hype

The idea of a yield-paying layer-2 blockchain atop Ethereum has clearly demonstrated market allure. But even the project's biggest investor has taken issue with the execution and marketing surrounding the initial rollout.

Blast founder Tieshun "Pacman" Roquerre is suddenly fending off the critics. (Creative Commons, modified by CoinDesk)

Policy

Airbit Club Founders, Lawyer Plead Guilty to $100M Fraud Scheme

The scheme's founders and promoters promised victims their money would be invested in a lucrative mining operation, but instead spent funds on cars, jewelry and luxury homes.

(Dall-E/CoinDesk)

Policy

SEC Files Emergency Action Against BKCoin for Running $100M ‘Ponzi-Like’ Scheme

BKCoin co-founder Kevin Kang is accused of misappropriating client funds to bankroll vacations, purchase tickets to sporting events and pay rent on his New York City apartment.

Kevin Kang, cofundador de BKCoin. (BKCoin)

Policy

Forsage Founders Indicted for $340M Ponzi Scheme Masquerading as DeFi Platform

Company relied on smart contracts whose coding is consistent with a Ponzi scheme, the U.S. Justice Department says.

(Ramin Talaie/Getty Images)

Policy

EminiFX CEO Eddy Alexandre Set to Plead Guilty to Role in Alleged $59M Ponzi Scheme

Alexandre was arrested in May and charged with fraud for his role in the alleged pyramid scheme.

Law Justice Court Legal (Shutterstock)

Videos

Celsius Used New Customer Funds to Pay for Withdrawals: Independent Examiner

An independent examiner for the U.S. bankruptcy court in New York said in a Tuesday filing that crypto lender Celsius Network misled its investors and occasionally used new customer funds to pay for other customers’ withdrawals– the usual definition of a Ponzi scheme. "The Hash" panel discusses the examiner's report and what it reveals about how Celsius operated.

CoinDesk placeholder image

Policy

BitConnect’s Victims to Receive $17M in Restitution Seized From Scam’s Promoter

The money will be distributed to approximately 800 victims from over 40 different countries.

(Relaxfoto.de/Getty Images)

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