Pseudo-Decentralized Computing Power Loan Scam: Impersonating AI Firms to Run Ponzi Schemes with High-Yield Dividends

Who Gets Targeted

The scam primarily targets veteran cryptocurrency users seeking passive income and non-technical business owners. In the 2026 AI wave, these individuals are anxious and eager to obtain stable dividends through low-threshold computing power leasing. They blindly trust the efficiency of DeFi and the perceived security of code, remaining defenseless against high-yield figures displayed on front-ends. Furthermore, due to misunderstandings regarding the immutability of smart contracts, they mistakenly believe they can recover losses on-chain even if the platform runs away—a psychological vulnerability precisely exploited by the operators.

骗局怎么运作

• Packaging pseudo-DeFi platforms and impersonating well-known AI firms: Fraudsters register domains similar to those of famous AI unicorns and build a full suite of decentralized applications on the front-end. They claim exclusive authorization from industry giants, using the pretext of breaking traditional computing monopolies and allowing retail investors to share in AI profits to lure in users who trust DeFi.
• Launching computing power loan products and high-yield subscription mechanisms: The platform issues 'computing power tokens,' claiming that users can stake stablecoins to borrow platform computing power or receive direct dividends. The mechanism sets up dynamic yield pools, promising high fixed dividends or a 30-day return on investment, and uses multi-level referral schemes to induce users to continuously inject new capital into the pool.
• Manipulating front-end data and forging computing power rendering visuals: In the user console, the platform uses AI-generated images or fake server node status pages to display false computing power growth curves and real-time mining output. In reality, there is no actual computing power leasing or physical mining hardware; it is merely an internal database numbers game designed to make users believe their computing power is generating excess returns.
• Restricting withdrawals and implementing lock-up mechanisms: When new capital is insufficient to pay early investors, the platform modifies the front-end logic of the smart contract, citing maintenance or hacker attacks as excuses to restrict withdrawals. By introducing mandatory lock-up periods or secondary subscription thresholds, they force users to recruit others to 'unlock' their funds, creating a fake liquidity crisis to buy time.
• Delaying the exit and closing on-chain interaction channels: The group sends out reassuring announcements, demanding high-percentage 'security deposits' to process withdrawals as a final wave of exploitation. Shortly after, they shut down the DeFi front-end, remove liquidity pools, and abandon smart contract permissions. The operators then use mixers to launder the massive amounts of crypto assets and disappear, leaving behind an unrecoverable situation.

红旗信号（看到这些快跑）

• 🚩 Promises of risk-free, ultra-high fixed returns, such as 30% monthly, which are impossible to achieve given the volatility of real DeFi and computing power markets.
• 🚩 Claims of endorsement by well-known AI firms, but core team members are anonymous upon investigation, and the official website only contains impersonated or unverified promotional copy.
• 🚩 Subscription and dividend mechanisms feature clear multi-level referral structures, requiring users to recruit others to unlock higher yields—a core hallmark of a Ponzi scheme.
• 🚩 The platform cannot provide proof of real on-chain computing nodes or open-source smart contract audits; all growth data is merely simulated on the front-end.
• 🚩 Withdrawals are suddenly blocked by demands for extra 'security deposits' or 'unfreezing fees,' requiring secondary staking, which was not disclosed in the whitepaper.

真实案例

• In 2024, an AI computing power scheme named 'Aurora Starlink' was exposed by fact-checking sites. The project lured users with the promise of dividends, but was identified as a 'skin-swapping' Ponzi scheme with numerous vulnerabilities. A large number of investors lost significant amounts of cryptocurrency with no way to recover it.
• Overseas groups impersonated a well-known AI unicorn's financing brand to conduct a pyramid scheme. Using the banner of computing power dividends and multi-level rebates, the project spread across multiple regions. Media reports noted that investors mistakenly believed they were purchasing real computing power, leading to their crypto assets being completely drained.
• The 'Zhongshengming' quantitative AI wealth management scheme collapsed, and Shenzhen police have officially opened an investigation. The scheme used quantitative and computing power investment as a hook, locking up funds after attracting a large number of victims, with estimated losses exceeding 300 million RMB. The operators disappeared after the lock-up, leaving victims with no recourse other than tracking clues via chat logs.
• The 'United Intelligent Computing Center' collected funds under the guise of computing power hosting dividends. After accumulating 110,000 members and over 100 million RMB, the operators announced that withdrawals were impossible and fled. Victims are currently struggling to seek legal redress.

Official Stance

• The Cyberspace Administration of China issued a notice regarding the investigation of websites illegally operating AI large model interfaces, warning the public to be highly vigilant against platforms lacking qualifications that raise funds under the guise of computing power interfaces.
• The Shenzhen Public Security Bureau has officially opened an investigation into a quantitative AI wealth management firm, confirming that the platform illegally absorbed public deposits under the name of quantitative and computing power investment, classifying it as suspected illegal fundraising fraud.
• Taiwanese police broke up a shell mining accelerator scam; the main suspect was arrested during a presentation. Officials warned that products claiming high dividends for purchasing mining power without barriers are mostly fraudulent.

How to Protect Yourself

• ✅ Verify the authenticity of smart contract code: Before investing in any DeFi computing power project, demand the platform provide the real contract address and check on an official blockchain explorer to see if the contract is open-source. Be wary of hidden backdoors or centralized contracts with excessive administrative privileges.
• ✅ Verify the authenticity of AI endorsements: If a project claims to partner with a well-known company, check that company's official website for their list of ecosystem partners. Do not trust authorization letters, forged screenshots, or PR articles that exist only in promotional materials.
• ✅ Reject high-rebate and multi-level distribution structures: Any computing power platform that requires recruiting others to earn higher interest or promises extremely high fixed monthly returns should be treated as a typical Ponzi scheme. Do not invest and exit the social groups immediately.
• ✅ Use small-amount test withdrawals: Before making a significant investment, inject a tiny amount of cryptocurrency and attempt a withdrawal. If the withdrawal process involves unexplained fees or long delays, stop investing immediately and report it to the police.