SEC Accuses Crypto Platforms and Investment Clubs of Fraud

According to BlockBeats, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged three cryptocurrency platforms and four investment clubs with orchestrating a coordinated fraud scheme, allegedly defrauding retail investors of at least $14 million. The regulatory body claims the operation utilized social media advertising, private messaging apps, and fake trading interfaces to deceive victims into believing they were investing through legitimate cryptocurrency channels. The defendants named in the lawsuit include Morocoin Tech Corp., Berge Blockchain Technology Co. Ltd., and Cirkor Inc., along with investment clubs AI Wealth Inc., Lane Wealth Inc., AI Investment Education Foundation Ltd., and Zenith Asset Technology Foundation. The SEC states that the scheme targeted U.S. retail investors and spanned from January 2024 to January 2025. This case highlights a form of fraud that combines traditional scam tactics with digital tools, leveraging familiar social platforms and sophisticated interfaces to create the illusion of professional investment operations.