The $50M OTC Crypto Scam: How Greed and Trust Fueled a Ponzi Scheme That Fooled VCs and Whales
The $50M OTC Crypto Scam: How Greed Outsmarted Logic
As a crypto analyst who’s seen everything from rug pulls to exchange hacks, I thought I was immune to shock—until this one. A $50 million OTC scam just proved that even seasoned investors will ignore red flags when FOMO takes over.
Phase 1: The Perfect Bait (Nov 2024 - Jan 2025)
The playbook was textbook Ponzi:
- Discounted Tokens: “Get SUI at 50% off!” messages flooded Telegram groups
- Fake Legitimacy: Early investors actually received their locked tokens
- Social Proof: VC-backed groups like Aza Ventures vouched for the deals
“It’s always phase one that gets them,” I told my Bloomberg Terminal. By January, they’d already hooked big fish with Aptos and SEI “deals.”
Phase 2: Scaling the Con (Feb - Jun 2025)
The scammers expanded their menu:
- Added blue chips like NEAR and Celestia
- Increased deal sizes (some over $1M per transaction)
- Created fake “sources” (Source 1 → Source 2 → Source 3)
Irony alert: The same investors who mock meme coin buyers fell for the oldest trick in finance—the greater fool theory.
The Unheeded Warnings (May 2025)
When SUI’s Eman Abio tweeted “No such OTC exists!”, you’d expect panic. Instead:
- 63% of ongoing deals were completed AFTER the warning
- Investors rationalized: “But my friend got paid last time”
My favorite delusion? A whale who argued: “They can’t scam ME—I’m using a private Telegram group!”
Collapse & Damage Assessment
The June implosion revealed:
- $50M+ lost (conservative estimate)
- Victims included:
- 3 Tier-1 VCs
- 11 project teams
- Countless “smart money” traders
Cold take: If your investment thesis relies on Telegram screenshots, you deserve to lose money.
Lessons for Crypto’s Next Cycle
- Verify OTC claims with projects DIRECTLY
- Discounts >20% are statistically scams
- No legitimate deal requires secrecy
As we track the mysterious “Source 1,” remember: In crypto, the only free lunch is the one you’re being fattened for.
BlockchainMaven
Hot comment (10)
Когда FOMO сильнее логики
Как криптоаналитик, я видел многое, но этот OTC-развод на $50M — шедевр жанра.
Фаза 1: Халява существует? «SUI со скидкой 50%» — и даже венчурные фонды клюнули. Ранние «инвесторы» получили токены — классика: «Это же не может быть скамом, мне же заплатили!»
Фаза 2: Рационализация во всей красе Когда основатель SUI кричит «Этого OTC нет!», 63% сделок… завершаются ПОСЛЕ. Логика китов: «Мой знакомый получил — значит, и мне повезёт». Браво!
Итог: Если ваш due diligence — скриншоты из Telegram, готовьтесь кормить следующего «кита».
P.S. Теперь я верю, что настоящий скам — это когда умные люди делают глупости хором.
ฟังแล้วขนลุก!
แค่เห็นคำว่า “SUI ลด 50%” ในเทเลแกรมก็รู้แล้วว่าโดนแน่ๆ แต่ทำไม VC ระดับเทพยังตกม้าตาย? เหมือนเห็นเพื่อนโดนเสือกัดแต่ยังยื่นหน้าเข้าไปถามว่า “เจ็บมั้ย” 555
บทเรียนวันนี้: ถ้า deal ดีขนาดนั้น ทำไมเขาต้องแบ่งคุณด้วย? น่าจะกินคนเดียวหมดแล้ว!
(ปล. คนที่บอก “กลุ่มเทเลแกรมส่วนตัวปลอดภัยแน่นอน” ตอนนี้คงนั่งกุมหัวร้องไห้อยู่)
#คริปโต #หลอกกันจะจะ #อย่าไว้ใจใคร
Grabe naman ‘tong scam na ‘to!
Akala ko ba matatalino tayong mga crypto investor? Eto namang $50M OTC scam, pati mga VC nahuli sa bitag!
Lesson learned:
- Kung masyadong mura, malamang scam yan (50% off? Susyal!)
- Kahit private Telegram pa yan, pwede ka parin maloko
- Ang tunay na whale, hindi nagpapa-goyo sa fake discounts!
Tara na’t mag-ingat sa susunod na ‘investment opportunity’! 😂 #CryptoPH #ScamAlert
“ভিসি’রাও ফাঁদে পড়েছে!”
এই বার্তাটি পড়ার পর আমার চা-এর কাপটি হাতে নিয়ে ভাবছিলাম - এত বড় মাছেরাও কীভাবে এই সাধারণ টেলিগ্রাম ফাঁদে ধরা দিলেন?
সত্যি বলতে: যখন SUIIর অফিসিয়াল টুইট বলছে “কোন OTC নেই”, আর ইনভেস্টররা তখনও টাকা ঢালছে… বুঝতেই পারছেন FOMO কতটা শক্তিশালী!
সবচেয়ে মজার অংশ? একজন হোয়েল ইনভেস্টর আত্মবিশ্বাসের সাথে বলেছিলেন - “প্রাইভেট গ্রুপে কেউ স্ক্যাম করতে পারবে না!” 😂
এখন প্রশ্ন হলো: আপনি কি কখনও এমন “খাসা ডিল” এর ফাঁদে পড়েছেন? কমেন্টে জানান!
Gier ist der beste Betrugshelfer
Als jemand, der täglich mit Krypto-Deals zu tun hat: Diese 50-Millionen-OTC-Masche ist das perfekte Lehrstück dafür, wie Gier jede Logik ausschaltet.
Die Ironie des Jahres: Die gleichen ‘Smart Money’-Trader, die über Meme-Coin-Jünger lachen, fallen auf den ältesten Trick der Finanzwelt rein – mit privaten Telegram-Gruppen als Sicherheitsmassnahme! (Spoiler: Nein.)
Goldene Regel: Wenn dein Investment-Research aus Screenshots besteht… herzlichen Glückwunsch, du bist jetzt der größte Fisch im Teich der Dummen.
Wie viele Warnungen braucht es eigentlich noch? Sogar als SUI öffentlich sagte ‘Das gibt’s nicht!’, gingen 63% der Deals weiter… Bin gespannt, wann die nächste Gruppe behauptet ‘Aber mein Freund hat doch Bitcoin für 10$ bekommen!’ 😂
Wenn Telegram-Gruppen deine Due Diligence ersetzen\n\nAls Blockchain-Entwickler dachte ich, ich hätte alles gesehen – bis dieser 50-Millionen-OTC-Scam bewies: Selbst ‚Smart Money‘ wird dumm, wenn die Gier klingelt.\n\nPhase 1: ‚SUI für 50% Rabatt!‘ Ja klar, und ich bin Satoshi Nakamoto. Aber hey, wenn sogar VCs darauf reinfallen… Prost Mahlzeit! 🍻\n\nLektion fürs nächste Bullrun: \n- >20% Discount = 100% Scam \n- Geheimnisvolle ‚Quellen‘ sind so seriös wie ein NFT von Wirecard \n\nWer jetzt noch auf ‚private Telegram Deals‘ setzt: Bitte schickt mir euer Geld direkt, ich geb’s wenigsten mit Humor aus. 😂 Was sagt ihr – wer war der kreativste Ausrede im Kommentarbereich?
Grabe ang FOMO ng mga whale!
Akala ko ba matalino ang mga investor sa crypto? Pero eto, naloko ng $50M scam na parang mga baguhan lang. Kahit may warning na, tuloy pa rin ang deal!
Lesson learned: Kung masyadong maganda ang offer, malamang scam yan. At oo, kahit private Telegram group mo, pwede ka pa rin lokohin!
Ano sa tingin nyo, sino ang mas gullible - mga crypto newbies o yung mga feeling expert na naloko din? 😂
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