UMnyango Wezobulungiswa waseMelika (i-DOJ) uvulele abantu abathathu amacala ngokuqola abatshalizimali imali elinganiselwa ku-$2 billion.

Ngokusho kwe-DOJ, laba bantu bakhuthaze uhlelo lokutshala imali oluyinkohliso lwe-cryptocurrency olwathembisa abatshalizimali izinzuzo eziphezulu.

I-Crypto Scam eyizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-1.89

Phakathi ku isitatimende sephephandaba on Jan. 29, 2024, the DOJ said that Sam Lee, an Australian living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and American citizens Rodney Burton and Brenda Chunga, perpetrated the $1.89 billion crypto fraud with an investment scheme called HyperFund.

Nakuba u-Lee kuthiwa ungumsunguli we-HyperFund, uBurton noChunga babengabagqugquzeli balo msebenzi, owawunamanye amagama afana ne-HyperCapital, i-HyperNation, i-HyperVerse, ne-HyperTech.

Phakathi kukaJuni 2020 noNovemba 2022, u-Lee nabagqugquzeli bakhe kuthiwa bathi abatshalizimali bazothola u-0.5% kuya ku-1% nsuku zonke emiklomelweni engenzi lutho uma abatshalizimali bethenga amaphakheji obulungu be-HyperFund ngenkathi bethembisa ukuphinda kabili noma kathathu ukutshalwa kwezimali kwabo kokuqala.

Laba abathathu baphinde bathi ingxenye yezinkokhelo izovela emalini etholwe “emisebenzini emikhulu yezimayini ye-crypto” ye-HyperFund. Kodwa-ke, ngokusho kwe-DOJ, imisebenzi enjalo yayingekho.

NgoJulayi 2021, inkampani yabonakala ingagcini izethembiso zayo futhi esikhundleni salokho kubikwa ukuthi yaqala ukuvimba abatshalizimali ukuthi bahoxise.

Ngokwesitatimende sommeli wase-United States u-Erek L. Barron weSifunda saseMaryland:

“Liyamangalisa izinga lezinsolo zokukhwabanisa lapha. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ukukhwabanisa kwe-cryptocurrency noma okunye ukukhwabanisa kwezezimali, uma kuzwakala kukuhle kakhulu ukuba kube yiqiniso, mhlawumbe kunjalo. Leli hhovisi kanye nozakwethu bokugcinwa komthetho bazothwesa abenzi bobubi ukuba baphendule ngalezi zinhlelo zokukhwabanisa nezinye.”

Nakuba u-Lee no-Chunga bebhekene necala lokwakha itulo lokukhwabanisa ngocingo lwezibambiso, uBurton ubhekene necala lokuqhuba ibhizinisi lokuthumela imali ngaphandle kwelayisense. Nakuba uChunga ewavumile amacala akhe, laba bantu abathathu umuntu ngamunye bazothola isigwebo seminyaka emihlanu ejele uma balahlwa yicala.

I-CEO ye-Fake

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also announced charges against Lee and Chunga. According to the SEC’s isikhalazo, Chunga got $3.7 million from the HyperFund platform and directly from investors.

Usebenzise imali ayizuzile ezimpahleni zikanokusho, izikhwama, nobucwebe, wathenga umuzi eMaryland kanye nendlu yokulala eDubai, kanye neBMW.

Ngaphandle kokuphatha i-HyperFund njengoba i-SEC ikubiza nge-pyramid ne-Ponzi scheme, i-HyperFund, ngesikhathi iqanjwa kabusha njenge-HyperVerse, yethula i-CEO entsha ebizwa ngokuthi uSteven Reece Lewis, owayengumlingisi okhokhelwayo ozinze eBangkok, eThailand, futhi owayengumethuli we-TV.

I-SEC isole u-Lee no-Chunga ngezipesheli ezingabhalisiwe kanye nokudayiswa kwezibambiso nokukhwabanisa futhi ifuna ukuchithwa kwezimali ezitholwe ngendlela engafanele, inzalo yokwahlulela kusengaphambili, kanye nezijeziso zezimali zomphakathi.

Khonamanjalo, uChunga uvumile ukuxazulula amacala abekwe wona, uzimisele ukukhokha inhlawulo njengoba kunqunywe yinkantolo, futhi ngeke avunyelwe ukwenza okuthile.