My people! What's up, friends! I have some hot gossip that is igniting the cryptocurrency world like wildfire. It turns out that some clever folks set up an epic crypto scam that left many with empty pockets, and we are talking about more than 50 million bucks! 💸
The situation is serious, this was not just any local scam. The crooks used tokens that are very much in the spotlight, such as SUI, NEAR, and Axelar, and everything was cooked up in some supposedly trustworthy Telegram channels. Imagine the play, from November 2024 to June 2025, people were falling for it. Not only small investors fell for it, no! Even crypto whales and venture capital firms went headfirst. Crazy! 🐋🏢
The trick of these tricksters was trust. They started in late 2024 with offers that seemed golden in invitation-only Telegram groups. They offered tokens like Aptos, GRT, SEI, and Swell with discounts that left you speechless, up to 50% less than the actual price! And the most 'credible' thing of all is that, at first, they did deliver the tokens to the first investors! This made people trust and say, 'Ah, this is a sure business!' And of course, everyone started pouring in more money, as if there was no tomorrow! 🤑
By early 2025, things were already a mess. The tales of quick and secure profits were flowing like water. Even the heavyweights, those VCs (venture capitalists) and KOLs (key opinion leaders), started throwing wads of cash, giving more credibility to this dream scam. 📈
By February of this year, the shameless ones became more ambitious. They added more variety to their offers, including SUI, NEAR, GRASS, Axelar, and Fluid. They continued to promise bargain prices and clear delivery dates, attracting an even larger line of investors. And even though some crypto experts, like Eman Abio from the SUI team or Lucian Mincu from MultiversX, shouted to the four winds: 'Be careful, this is a scam!', people didn't pay attention. They were blinded by greed and the trust that had been instilled in them! 🙈
But, like everything good (or bad) has its end, the bubble burst in June 2025. The delivery of the promised tokens came to a complete halt. The organizers came up with Chinese tales of 'delays due to travel' or 'paperwork issues', but nothing concrete. And on June 19, one of the affected venture capital groups, Aza Ventures, had to publicly admit that they had also been bitten. They said that the so-called 'Source 1', the brains behind all this, was using the money from new investors to pay the old ones, a textbook Ponzi scheme! 😵💫
Now, the community is on fire and seeking justice. It is suspected that 'Source 1' is an Indian and even the founder of a project listed on Binance, a serious matter! Aza Ventures knows who it is, but they haven't released it publicly while trying to recover the funds. There are already wallet addresses linked to the scammer that are being investigated and people are on high alert, tracking every move. The list of implicated tokens is very long, more than 30 crypto assets! 🕵️♀️
So, my people, this story leaves us with a very clear lesson: we must be super alert in the crypto world! Not everything that glitters is gold, and sometimes, offers that sound too good to be true end up being a monumental scam! Stay informed and protect your money!
