The investor responded to a Facebook post promoting Telegram-owner Pavel Durov and his new purported AI program for cryptocurrency trading, ProTON-Invest. Soon the investor was contacted by an alleged ProTON-Invest representative who prompted the investor to deposit Bitcoin into an account, presumably a trading account. The promoter then stated that the investor would be contacted by a licensed financial professional. The investor confirmed the provided name of the broker via FINRA’s BrokerCheck. However, the “licensed financial professional” that the investor was linked with was simply impersonating the legitimate broker. Using high pressure tactics, the promoter and impersonator pushed the investor to deposit more funds. When the investor decided to withdraw their funds, they were told they needed to pay multiple fees. The investor has yet to recover any funds.
How to Report
If you believe you are a victim of this alleged cryptocurrency scam:
- Report to FBI
- If you are outside Washington State: contact your local Securities Regulator
- If you are a Washington State resident: Submit a Complaint for statistical purposes.
Other Resources:
- Virtual Currency, Cryptocurrency, and Digital Assets Information for Consumers
- Investment Fraud
- What You Can Do to Avoid Investment Fraud | Investor.gov