A group of crypto fraud victims of the BitConnect investment scheme will see some respite from the multi-billion dollar fraud scheme after a court ordered they receive a share in a $17 million restitution. The United States District Court for the Southern District of California ordered the restitution for the “massive” scheme on Jan. 12 according to a release on the same day by the Department of Justice (DOJ). 800 victims of the scheme, hailing from 40 countries will be able to take a small slice of the $17 million restitution, a term that refers to returning property or monetary …

The saga of BitConnect, a major cryptocurrency scam scheme, is taking another twist as one of the BitConnect co-founders is now wanted by the Indian state police. Satish Kumbhani, an Indian national and the alleged founder of the crypto Ponzi scheme BitConnect, reportedly became subject to a new police investigation in India, The Indian Express reported on Wednesday. The Pune police, operating under the Indian state Maharashtra Police, launched a probe into Kumbhani after a Pune-based lawyer filed a complaint claiming that he lost about 220 Bitcoin (BTC), or $5.2 million, due to BitConnect. The complainant said his original investment …

Indicted by the United States Department of Justice in a $2.4 billion Ponzi scheme, BitConnect founder Satish Kumbhani remains untraced following conviction. In a court filing on Monday, the Securities and Exchange Commission said that the whereabouts of Kumbhani remains unknown. The SEC noted that Kumbhani’s last known location was in his native country India, but has remained untraced ever since the promoter for his BitConnect Ponzi scheme was charged by the SEC for defrauding American investors of over $2 billion. SEC in its filing noted that the convicted founder has most probably fled to a foreign country and “Kumbhani’s …

The founder of the infamous crypto exchange BitConnect, Satish Kumbhani, has been charged for allegedly misleading investors globally and defrauding them of $2.4 billion in the process. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), a San Diego-based federal grand jury specifically charged Kumbhani for orchestrating the alleged Ponzi scheme via BitConnect’s “Lending Program”: “BitConnect operated as a Ponzi scheme by paying earlier BitConnect investors with money from later investors. In total, Kumbhani and his co-conspirators obtained approximately $2.4 billion from investors.” Back in 2017 amid the hype, BitConnect (BCC) recorded an all-time high of $463.31 in trading price, which according …

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that victims of the Bitconnect Ponzi scheme can proceed with a class action suit by reversing a previous ruling that prohibited such a case. Bitconnect is the endlessly memed ICO from 2017 that collapsed in January, 2018. Appellate courts are superior courts that are used to review previously tried cases so the ruling may be reversed or confirmed. The alleged victims may now move forward with a class action case against BitConnect (BCC) and its promoters Glenn Arcaro, Ryan Maasen, Trevon James, Ryan HiIdreth, and Craig Grant. There is no word yet …

The United States Department of Justice is planning to sell $56 million worth of cryptocurrency seized in connection with its case against Ponzi scheme BitConnect. In a Nov. 16 announcement, the Justice Department said it would sell the seized crypto and hold the proceeds in U.S. dollars until it could use the funds to provide restitution to BitConnect victims. The U.S. government is currently holding the $56 million in crypto in wallets, and said the amount of compensation to those affected by BitConnect’s fraud would depend on a “future restitution order by the court at sentencing.” “This liquidation is the …

Glenn Arcaro, former director and promoter of the notorious BitConnect Ponzi scheme, has pled guilty to fraud charges related to his role in the now-defunct crypto exchange and lending platform. He has been ordered to pay back $24 million to investors. In a parallel action in the long-running saga, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission has charged BitConnect, its founder, Satish Kumbhani, former director Arcaro, and Future Money Ltd. for the scheme. The defendants are accused of running a fraudulent, unregistered securities offering that netted $2 billion. The latest developments come three years after BitConnect shut down its lending …

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is nearing settlements with four U.S.-based individuals accused of promoting the multi-billion dollar crypto Ponzi scheme, BitConnect. According to Law360, the terms of the settlements are currently awaiting final approval from Judge John Koeltl. The judge noted that while agreements’ terms are currently legally sound, minor fixes are needed to be made to ensure they are “scrupulously accurate.” The agreements include a more than $3 million settlement from Joshua Heppensen of Massachusetts and $576,000 from his fiancee Laura Mascola, $526,000 from Ryan Maasen of Oklahoma, and an unspecified amount from Michael Noble of …

Three years and some unforgettable memes later, the Securities and Exchange Commission has announced that 5 individuals will face charges relating to promoting the Bitconnect Ponzi scheme. “The SEC's complaint alleges that these promoters offered and sold the securities without registering the securities offering with the Commission, and without being registered as broker-dealers with the Commission, as required by the federal securities laws,” the release reads. The promoters, including Trevon Brown, Craig Grant, Ryan Maasen, and Michael Noble are said to have “advertised the merits of investing in BitConnect's lending program to prospective investors, including by creating "testimonial" style videos …

The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions has charged the former Australian national representative of BitConnect for his involvement in the multi-billion-dollar crypto Ponzi scheme following an investigation by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, or ASIC. According to a Nov. 17 statement from the ASIC, the commission — with assistance from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation — recommended charges against John Louis Anthony Bigatton for his role working for BitConnect from August 2017 through January 2018. He faces four courts of making misleading or false statements that had an influence on market participation, one count of operating an unregistered …

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has banned John Louis Anthony Bigatton, the former ‘Australian National Representative’ of the multi-billion-dollar crypto Ponzi scheme BitConnect, from providing financial services for seven years. ASIC asserts that the New South Wales resident provided unlicensed financial product advice and engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct while working for BitConnect from August 2017 through January 2018. While an investigation is still ongoing, the regulator has found that: “Mr. Bigatton is not a fit and proper person to provide financial services: is not adequately trained, or is not competent, to provide a financial service or …

How can payment fraud be avoided? Introducing better verification measures can go a long way to protecting consumers. Amazon and eBay are often held up as good examples of how transactions should be handled in the wider economy. These sites often deliver impartial reviews based on the past activities of buyers and sellers, meaning it is easier for consumers to find someone reputable. Measures are also in place to protect both parties if a transaction doesn’t go to plan. A multitrader marketplace called Kuverit is aiming to bring this to the crypto and fiat world alike. The company claims it …