AI+DeFi Fake AI Wealth Management: Posing as High-Yield AI Quantitative Investing, Actually a Ponzi Scheme

Who Gets Targeted

Most victims are young office workers lacking financial experience and recent college graduates who are eager to get rich quickly. They are easily attracted by terms such as 'AI algorithm' and 'fully automated arbitrage' and trust community leaders' return promises. The gang uses forged return curves and fake blockchain explorers to induce them to first deposit a small trial amount (such as 0.5 ETH), then uses a 'profit leaderboard' to encourage additional deposits and referrals of relatives and friends for viral growth. A typical loss is that principal is 'locked up' and then the platform shuts down; for example, the 'Zhongshengming Quantitative AI Wealth Management Scheme' involved more than RMB 300 million and over 30,000 victims.

骗局怎么运作

• The fraud team first sets up an 'AI Quantitative Lab' account on Telegram, Weibo, and other platforms, posts fake AI model screenshots and real-time return curves, claims to have achieved 10% daily returns through machine learning, and uses 'limited-time free trial' to lure victims to join.
• After victims fill in personal information, the platform requires them to first deposit a small trial amount (such as 0.5 ETH), and embeds a fake blockchain explorer on the payment page, showing 'assets locked and AI arbitrage started.' In reality, the funds are transferred to controlled wallet addresses.
• Subsequently, the scammers use a 'profit leaderboard' within the community to display profit screenshots from a few early victims, combined with livestreams by fake AI trading bots, creating the illusion of profitability, encouraging victims to add investment, and even bringing in relatives and friends for viral referrals.
• When cumulative fundraising reaches hundreds of millions of yuan, the scam team announces a 'lock-up period' to prevent mass withdrawals from causing the platform to collapse. During this period, it continues to push fake announcements of 'AI model upgrades,' requiring victims to recharge again to pay upgrade fees.
• Finally, the platform closes all access points, uniformly stating 'system upgrade and maintenance,' and has customer service refuse to reply on the grounds of technical failure. Victims can only discover that the funds have been transferred away, and the scam gang completely hides the assets through coin mixing and cross-chain transfers.

红旗信号（看到这些快跑）

• 🚩 Promotional materials contain many technical terms such as AI, machine learning, and quantitative trading, but lack certification from authoritative institutions or public source code.
• 🚩 Promises fixed or extremely high returns (such as 10% daily profit) and provides no risk warning.
• 🚩 Requires upfront deposit or purchase of an 'AI algorithm usage fee' and pressures decisions with limited-time offers.
• 🚩 The platform interface and trading records are all forged screenshots or demo videos, with no actual blockchain explorer links.
• 🚩 Only a few 'experts' in the community publicly post trading screenshots, and most chat records are deleted or censored by administrators.

真实案例

• In June 2023, the 'Zhongshengming Quantitative AI Wealth Management Scheme' was filed as a case by public security in Shenzhen, involving more than RMB 300 million; there were more than 30,000 victims. The platform completely shut down after the lock-up, and the funds could not be recovered.
• In April 2024, the fake virtual currency project 'Zhipu AI' used AI quantitative trading as a cover to raise RMB 18,000 on social platforms; users' principal was transferred away in one go, and the project team publicly disclosed that it had shut down the site and restarted.
• In September 2024, the 'OneAgent Hermit Crab' team used the original crew of 'Jubi Exchange' to package AI quantitative trading, raised more than RMB 200 million in just three months, and then disappeared; victims continued to complain on online rights-protection platforms. (Source: https://chapan.cc/article/8503.html)
• In April 2026, Hong Kong police disclosed a fraud case that used 'AI quantitative trading' as a gimmick to induce cryptocurrency investment. The fraudsters impersonated 'investment experts' and induced a female victim to transfer out USDT and ETH worth about HKD 7.7 million on 17 separate occasions. She only realized she had been scammed when her withdrawal attempt was rejected. (Source: https://www.finet.hk/newscenter/news_content/69e4874f65c95112e0089555)
• In March 2026, Southern Finance reporters found through investigation that multiple 'copycat' software companies represented by Wuhan Baiyu Quantitative and Shenzhen Yongjie Quantitative outwardly used 'AI quantitative stock trading' as a promotional gimmick, but in fact built a fraud closed loop of 'MLM-style recruitment + Ponzi scheme.' After one victim invested tens of thousands of yuan, the platform app could no longer be opened, and the operating entity simply ran away. Another victim, Liang Yun, had total personal account assets showing more than RMB 1 million, plus more than RMB 600,000 in relatives' and friends' accounts, trapped in it. Police have intervened in some cases. (Source: https://finance.sina.com.cn/roll/2026-03-14/doc-inhqyaqm3249902.shtml)

Official Stance

• In August 2023, the People's Bank of China, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, and six other ministries and commissions jointly issued the 'Notice on Further Preventing and Handling Risks Related to Virtual Currency and Other Matters.'
• In October 2023, the Shenzhen Financial Office issued the 'Special Warning on Strictly Preventing AI Quantitative Wealth Management Fraud,' clearly stating that DeFi projects disguised with AI are illegal fundraising.
• In March 2024, the National Internet Finance Security Technology Expert Group issued the 'Guidelines for Preventing AI + Blockchain Financial Risks,' warning the public not to readily trust unregistered AI wealth management platforms.

How to Protect Yourself

• ✅ Before investing, verify whether the platform has completed filing or registration with the China Securities Regulatory Commission and financial regulatory authorities; legitimate platforms will provide a filing number.
• ✅ Do not readily trust 'high returns' promotions in communities; independently verify AI model source code and audit reports.
• ✅ Use blockchain explorers to check the transfer records of wallet addresses and confirm whether the flow of funds is transparent.
• ✅ If there are mandatory requirements such as upfront deposits or limited-time offers, stop immediately and report to the local public security and financial authorities.