SEC Charges Multiple Entities in Fraud Schemes Totaling at Least $15 Million That Used WhatsApp and Other Platforms to Lure Investors

The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged multiple entities that are likely operated by individuals located overseas for defrauding hundreds of retail investors, including many in the U.S., through so-called investment confidence scams where the perpetrators sought to build online relationships with unsuspecting clients before stealing their money.

In two separate complaints, both filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the SEC charged Cryptoaiml Ltd. and Cryptoaiml Capital Foundation as well as TSAI Pro Ltd. and TSAI Capital Foundation with fraud in connection with schemes that feigned SEC compliance while misappropriating more than $12.5 and $2.8 million, respectively, from investors through online platforms.

“Although the methods used to bilk innocent investors in these fraudulent investment scams varied, the goal was the same – promise potential investors outsized returns, claim that they were legitimate entities regulated by the SEC, and then steal their money,” said David Woodcock, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. “We encourage the public to report these types of schemes as they occur using our online tip portal.”