Aurora Starlink AI Computing Power Loan Scam: High-Yield Inducement for Rapid Deposits

Who Gets Targeted

The primary victims are individual investors with some cryptocurrency experience, as well as small funds and investment community members who follow trends blindly. They are keen on high returns and lack technical understanding of AI computing power. They are easily lured by promises such as '30% fixed monthly return' or 'guaranteed principal for AI computing power leasing.' They are also misled by fake 'daily profit' screenshots shared in communities and often increase their investments due to a 'try a small amount first' mentality. Losses primarily manifest as the inability to withdraw principal; for instance, a programmer in Shanghai reportedly invested 50,000 RMB only to be told to wait in a queue for audit upon attempting a withdrawal (victim's account, not independently verified).

骗局怎么运作

• Project operators build professional-looking websites and whitepapers, claiming to own proprietary AI computing clusters. They offer to lease computing power for fixed monthly returns, use industry jargon to build credibility, and place crypto wallet addresses at the bottom of the page to solicit deposits.
• They use Telegram, Discord, and other community channels to post screenshots of high returns and invite KOLs for promotional livestreams, using urgency tactics like '10% rebate for first-batch investors' or 'limited spots remaining today' to pressure potential users into quick decisions.
• Victims are instructed by community admins in private chats to transfer USDT or tokens on the BSC chain to designated addresses. The platform promises computing power dividends once the funds arrive, while demanding upfront 'platform fees' or 'computing power insurance.'
• The operators return small amounts of profit to early investors to create the illusion of 'profit first, invest more later,' using a snowball effect to lure more people into depositing funds and building a larger capital pool.
• Once the fundraising reaches tens of millions, the platform suddenly disables deposits, citing 'computing power upgrades and maintenance,' and uses various excuses to block withdrawals. The core team then transfers the wallet private keys to overseas addresses and disappears, leaving victims to seek help from the police.

红旗信号（看到这些快跑）

• 🚩 Promises of fixed returns far exceeding industry averages, such as 30% monthly or higher.
• 🚩 Opaque project team information, providing only anonymous social media accounts or fake names.
• 🚩 Promotional materials rely entirely on AI-generated images and conceptual diagrams, lacking documentation of actual computing hardware.
• 🚩 Demands for upfront 'platform fees' or 'computing power insurance,' payable only via private transfers.
• 🚩 Promotion occurs exclusively on social media or crypto communities, with no official registration or regulatory licenses.

真实案例

• In December 2023, a female investor (pseudonym A) was told in a Telegram group to participate in the 'Aurora Starlink AI Computing Power Loan.' After transferring 50,000 USDT, she received only a 0.5% rebate within a week before the platform froze withdrawals. The funds have not been recovered.
• In March 2024, a crypto blogger (B) saw a '30% monthly return' offer on a project website. After investing 300,000 RMB, he was asked to pay an additional 200,000 RMB for 'computing power insurance.' Three months later, the platform shut down, affecting over 200 victims and involving approximately 120 million RMB in total losses.
• In June 2024, police cracked a cross-border 'AI computing power leasing' fraud case, arresting two core suspects and freezing approximately 8 million RMB in crypto wallets. Victims included multiple cryptocurrency investors and small funds.

Official Stance

• Shenzhen Local Financial Supervision and Administration Bureau, 2025-03-21, issued 'Risk Warning on Illegal Fundraising in the Name of AI, Cloud Computing, Cloud Storage, and Big Data' (Source: https://jr.sz.gov.cn/sjrb/xxgk/tzgg/content/post_12082562.html)
• Office of the Financial Commission of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee (Shenzhen Local Financial Supervision and Administration Bureau), 2025-09-30, issued 'Risk Warning on Illegal Fundraising Traps' (Source: https://jr.sz.gov.cn/sjrb/ztzl/ffdjffjr/fxts/content/post_12421200.html)

How to Protect Yourself

• ✅ Verify whether the platform is registered with Chinese securities or financial regulatory authorities; avoid any projects that are not registered.
• ✅ Never provide personal wallet private keys to strangers or community admins; any request for upfront fees is a high-risk indicator.
• ✅ Critically evaluate advertised returns; in financial common sense, fixed high returns are rarely sustainable, especially promises exceeding 30% monthly.
• ✅ If you have been scammed, immediately save transaction records and chat screenshots, and report the incident to local police or financial regulators to prevent further losses. Check if the counterparty has been listed as having abnormal business operations or as a dishonest entity.