# SEC sues over alleged $15 million WhatsApp crypto investment scams

Canonical: https://chainincident.com/news/39be3c2b-a4b7-49cc-93ee-54d69abec877
Published: 2026-09-30T06:36:21.195Z
Publisher: Chain Incident

Two civil complaints allege fake trading platforms, withdrawal fees and false claims of SEC oversight.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed two civil lawsuits on September 29 over alleged crypto investment schemes that took more than $15 million from investors. The cases target Cryptoaiml Ltd. and Cryptoaiml Capital Foundation, alongside TSAI Pro Ltd. and TSAI Capital Foundation, according to the [agency's announcement](https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026-95-sec-charges-multiple-entities-fraud-schemes-totaling-least-15-million-used-whatsapp-other-platforms).

Both complaints were filed in the Southern District of New York. The alleged losses exceed $12.5 million in the Cryptoaiml case and $2.8 million in the TSAI case. These are allegations in newly filed proceedings, rather than findings from a completed trial.

The [Cryptoaiml complaint](https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/complaints/2026/comp-pr2026-95-cryptoaiml.pdf) describes WhatsApp groups in which operators allegedly impersonated established investment professionals and persuaded members to transfer crypto assets to a supposed trading platform. Account screens displayed profits, but the SEC says no trading took place. When investors tried to withdraw, they were allegedly asked to pay additional fees to unlock their accounts.

That complaint covers conduct from at least August 2024 through March 2025 and identifies more than 300 affected retail investors and clients. It also states that the real professionals and firms whose identities were used had no involvement in the scheme and did not authorize the use of their names.

The [TSAI complaint](https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/complaints/2026/comp-pr2026-95-tsai.pdf) concerns a different purported service: renting trading bots. Operators allegedly promised guaranteed profits and rewards for recruiting additional investors. The SEC says the bots did not exist and deposited money was never used to generate the promised returns. The alleged conduct occurred between September 2024 and March 2025.

Both cases also involve false claims of SEC oversight. The agency says the entities used falsified Form D filings to support those claims and that the filings have been removed from its website.

The new development is the enforcement action, not a newly discovered blockchain exploit. The Cryptoaiml complaint seeks injunctions, disgorgement and civil penalties. Whether investors recover funds, and what remedies the court grants, remain unresolved.

## Sources

- [SEC civil complaint against TSAI entities](https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/complaints/2026/comp-pr2026-95-tsai.pdf) — U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
- [SEC civil complaint against Cryptoaiml entities](https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/complaints/2026/comp-pr2026-95-cryptoaiml.pdf) — U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
- [SEC charges entities over alleged WhatsApp investment fraud](https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026-95-sec-charges-multiple-entities-fraud-schemes-totaling-least-15-million-used-whatsapp-other-platforms) — U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

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