Kelowna, BC: 22 BTC Loaned & Never Returned
A real-estate agent lent 22 BTC (~$1.2 M CAD) for a “48-hour recovery” effort. The borrower vanished, triggering a B.C. Supreme Court order for cash repayment—but Nguyen remains unpaid and financially ruined.
Read MoreOntario: $23 M Lost in Crypto Loan/Investment Scams
Victims across Ontario collectively lost nearly $23 M CAD after responding to “quick-return” loan offers in Bitcoin. Many never saw their collateral or principal again.
Learn HowCanada-Wide Warning: Cryptocurrency Investment Scams
BBB received 148 M inquiries about crypto firms in eight months of 2020—up 23% from the prior year. Many started as “low-entry” loan/investment pitches and ended in total loss.
See the AlertWinnipeg: CAFC & Police Recover $17 K in Bitcoin
Not all loan scams end in loss—CAFC and Winnipeg Police recovered $17 000 BTC from a crypto investment fraud. Prompt reporting made the difference.
Case DetailsWashington, D.C.: $230 M BTC Stolen in Fraud Conspiracy
Malone Lam and Jeandiel Serrano used fake loan pitches to obtain over 4,100 BTC (worth >$230 M USD). They laundered funds via mixers and luxury purchases before their arrests.
View the IndictmentUSA: $225.3 M Seized in Crypto Confidence Scams
The largest-ever U.S. seizure of stolen crypto—over $225 M—linked to hundreds of thousands of transactions in so-called “pig butchering” scams where investors were lured via loan/investment pitches.
Press ReleaseBitConnect: $2 B Ponzi-Like Lending Scheme
Promised daily interest on bitcoin “loans,” BitConnect turned out to be a $2 B Ponzi scheme. Investors who thought they were lending BTC for trading returns lost everything when it collapsed.
SEC Alert