SEC charges Forsage founders from Russia with cryptocurrency fraud
Retail Banker InternationalAug 02, 2022
On Mon., the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that 11 people were charged in an alleged international crypto pyramid scheme that deceived more than $300M from investors on the Forsage platform.
According to the SEC, Forsage operated as a traditional Ponzi scheme in which investors earned money by recruiting others. This reportedly lasted for over two years, despite cease-and-desist actions from regulators in the Philippines and Montana.
The SEC has recently ramped up crypto enforcement and this is just the latest in a string of alleged crypto Ponzi schemes. With the current crypto market instability that's seen digital assets significantly drop from their peak, this is another blow to the community that's attempting to ride the current storm.
While bringing charges is a step in the right direction to holding these fraudsters accountable, it's likely too little too late. International operations make it difficult for the SEC to pursue justice, and with the founders outside of the US, it will be near impossible to arrest them. This serves as a reminder that effective regulation of digital assets must be enforced to a greater extent.