The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged multiple entities and individuals on Tuesday in connection with two relationship investment scams tied to fake cryptocurrency platforms, Nanobit and Coinw6. The defendants are accused of using social media apps such as Whatsapp, Linkedin, and Instagram to deceive investors before misappropriating their funds. “These charges are the SEC’s first enforcement actions alleging these types of scams,” the regulator said.

According to Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, “relationship investment scams, including those involving crypto asset investments, pose a risk of catastrophic harm to retail investors, and the threat is increasing rapidly as these scams become more popular with fraudsters.” The complaint outlines that participants in the NanoBit scheme, operating from October 2023 to June 2024, posed as financial professionals on Whatsapp to lure investors into a fake crypto trading platform, siphoning over $2 million. Grewal added:

In these two cases, we allege that fraudsters created fake crypto ecosystems that displayed false information to investors.

In the second case, from July 2022 to December 2023, Coinw6 participants used social media to develop romantic relationships with victims, eventually persuading them to invest in fake crypto products. The securities regulator detailed:

When investors tried to withdraw their purported profits, the schemers allegedly demanded additional payments for taxes or fees, told investors that the crypto assets were frozen as part of a law enforcement inquiry, or tried to blackmail them using compromising romantic communications over Whatsapp.

The SEC has filed charges against both schemes, seeking civil penalties and permanent injunctions. Grewal emphasized, “Our allegations serve as a reminder to the public to be on heightened alert about potential scams involving investment opportunities promoted by strangers on social media.”

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