Debiex Fined $2.5 Million for ‘Pig Butchering’ Crypto Scam

Debiex was fined $2.5 million for a "pig butchering" cryptocurrency scam, stealing $2.3 million from victims by impersonating romantic partners on social media to trick them into investing.

Debiex Fined $2.5 Million For Pig Butchering Crypto Scam

A U.S. federal court has ordered the cryptocurrency platform Debiex to repay approximately $2.26 million, along with a $221,500 penalty, after failing to respond to a lawsuit filed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

According to the CFTC, Debiex was actually a “pig butchering” scam, in which platform employees posed as romantic partners on social media to gain victims’ trust and then convinced them to invest in cryptocurrency. This scheme defrauded five victims of a total of $2.3 million.

The CFTC also accused Zhāng Chéng Yáng of being a “money mule” for Debiex, using his personal crypto wallet to receive and launder victims’ funds. Judge Douglas Rayes approved a default judgment, ordering Zhāng to transfer the remaining funds in his OKX account—including $5.70 USDT and nearly 63 ETH (worth approximately $119,500)—to a victim.

A Salient Excerpt From Judge Rayes' Order Summarizing The Cftc's Case Against Debiex
A Salient Excerpt From Judge Rayes’ Order Summarizing The Cftc’s Case Against Debiex

According to the lawsuit, Debiex created fake websites, falsely marketing itself as a “decentralized perpetual contract trading platform” to lure users with misleading information about profits and trades. Employees often posed as women, continuously messaging and sharing fake images to build trust. Once customers deposited funds, their assets were transferred to multiple wallets to conceal the fraud.

The court ruled that Debiex had no valid reason for failing to respond to the lawsuit and was therefore fully liable for its fraudulent activities.

Love

0.0/5

Love

Latest

Notable Token Unlocks In June 2025

Altcoin | Editor Choice

Notable Token Unlocks in June 2025

There is $1 billion worth of tokens set to be unlocked this June, notably including Sui (SUI), Fasttoken (FTN), and LayerZero (ZRO).

Bitcoin Rebounds After Correction, Surpasses $105,000

News | Bitcoin | Editor Choice

Bitcoin Rebounds After Correction, Surpasses $105,000

After a period of correction, Bitcoin has rebounded and surpassed the $105,000 mark, as experts warn of technical divergence signals and key support zones gradually taking shape.

Crypto Trader James Wynn Loses $99 Million In A Week

News | Altcoin | Editor Choice

Crypto Trader James Wynn Loses $99 Million in a Week

Crypto trader James Wynn lost $99 million in just one week due to failed Bitcoin bets, while another trader made $17 million by taking the opposite positions.

Most Ethereum Etf Investors Deep In The Red

News | Altcoin | Editor Choice

Most Ethereum ETF Investors Deep in the Red

Most investors in BlackRock and Fidelity’s Ethereum ETFs are suffering heavy losses as Ether’s price falls well below their entry levels, amid volatility driven by former President Trump’s trade policies.

Trading Volume On Pancakeswap Reaches $138 Billion, Surpassing Uniswap

Altcoin | Editor Choice

Trading Volume on PancakeSwap Reaches $138 Billion, Surpassing Uniswap

Thanks to strong support from CZ and Binance exchange, PancakeSwap's trading volume in May reached $138 billion, far surpassing Uniswap.