DePIN Fake Node Rental Platform: Disappears After Collecting Equipment Fees, Leaving Investors Penniless

Who Gets Targeted

The primary victims are individual investors lacking a background in blockchain technology. This includes young people and working professionals eager to chase high-yield computing power rentals, as well as retirees attracted by promises of 'node leasing and stable computing power returns.' They are easily swayed by marketing claims of 'guaranteed profits and high returns' and, driven by wishful thinking, fall for scarcity tactics like 'early-bird pricing' and 'limited-time offers,' leading them to make blind payments due to information asymmetry. Ultimately, their invested capital is lost completely. Police have initially identified 10 victims who have filed reports, with total known losses exceeding NT$5 million. This includes one retired woman in Taipei who lost over NT$1 million (Reported by the Criminal Investigation Bureau, National Police Agency, Ministry of the Interior, 2026-04-22).

骗局怎么运作

• Project operators publish so-called DePIN decentralized computing power sharing plans on social platforms like Telegram, Weibo, and Douyin, claiming that leasing node equipment can generate yields far higher than traditional mining, and use gimmicks like 'early-bird pricing' and 'limited-time offers' to create a sense of scarcity, inducing users to place orders quickly.
• Once victims enter the project's exclusive registration page, they are required to pay a one-time hardware procurement or equipment fee, ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands of yuan. Payment methods include WeChat Pay, Alipay, and bank transfers, with forged receipt screenshots provided to increase credibility.
• After payment is successful, the platform promises to ship the hardware and provide a computing power monitoring link within 48 hours. In reality, they delay with excuses like 'logistics delays' or 'system upgrades,' fail to provide any real hardware or computing power information for an extended period, and may even delete contact information.
• The fraud team immediately replaces servers and deactivates social media accounts after receiving sufficient funds, laundering the money through overseas transfer channels. They often use the names of shell companies to open bank accounts, creating the illusion of a 'legitimate enterprise.'
• When victims discover the issue and attempt to seek recourse, the project operators have already lost contact, relevant customer service accounts are blocked, and official support channels display 'Service Terminated.' Victims are forced to report to the police, by which time recovering the principal is often impossible.

红旗信号（看到这些快跑）

• 🚩 Promotional materials require advance payment for hardware procurement or equipment fees, with abnormally high amounts and no provision of formal invoices.
• 🚩 The project is operated solely through anonymous or temporary accounts, lacking verifiable company registration information.
• 🚩 The profit model is exaggerated and lacks technical implementation details, often using vague concepts like 'AI computing power' or 'computing power leasing' to mislead investors.
• 🚩 Promises of 'going live within 24 hours' or 'instant rebates' are made, but no actual computing power service ever appears.
• 🚩 The project cannot be found in official registries or regulatory databases, and contact information or social media accounts are changed frequently.

真实案例

• On April 20, 2026, a woman was induced by an account named 'Computing Power Rental Co.' on Telegram to pay 10,000 RMB for a GPU node rental package. The platform subsequently deactivated all accounts. Police intervention revealed the case involved approximately 150,000 RMB and 12 suspects have been arrested.
• On March 15, 2026, a developer in a WeChat group called 'DePIN Computing Power Sharing' was required to pay a 5,000 RMB equipment fee to purchase a computing node. The project operators delayed with the excuse that 'equipment has been shipped,' but the victim never received any hardware. The case involved approximately 80,000 RMB.
• On February 5, 2026, an investor saw a 'DePIN Computing Power Sharing Coin-Earning Plan' on a WeChat mini-program. After paying 30,000 RMB in a lump sum, the project operators stopped contact citing 'system upgrades.' Subsequent investigation revealed it was the same fraud syndicate, which had defrauded a total of approximately 300,000 RMB.
• In April 2026, the 7th Investigation Corps of the Criminal Investigation Bureau cracked a money-laundering case involving a fake mining accelerator project named 'BitHarvest.' Since March 2024, the main suspect had used empty USB shells, falsely claiming they were revolutionary mining accelerators, and fabricated a 'proprietary coin, proprietary chain' ecosystem to launch the BTH coin. It is known that 10 victims lost over NT$5 million. 12 suspects, including the ringleader, were arrested and referred for prosecution. (Source: https://www.cna.com.tw/news/asoc/202604220226.aspx)
• In April 2026, the Liberty Times reported on the 'BitHarvest' fake mining accelerator case. The main suspect established a business school and other organizations in Taiwan, claiming to be the general agent for the Taiwan region. They used a multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme to recruit subordinates for investment. Within two years, at least 10 people were victimized, with losses totaling NT$5 million. The Criminal Investigation Bureau's 7th Investigation Corps arrested the ringleader and 11 others, and their detention was approved. (Source: https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/paper/1752024)

Official Stance

• The People's Bank of China and 7 other departments, 2026-02-06, issued the 'Notice on Further Preventing and Disposing of Risks Related to Virtual Currency' (Source: https://www.news.cn/fortune/20260206/b569f51297ce4d6c980c4954922cd7c2/c.html)

How to Protect Yourself

• ✅ Before investing, verify whether the project company is registered and holds legal qualifications through the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology or local Administration for Market Regulation.
• ✅ Do not trust any form of 'prepaid hardware fees' or 'one-time equipment fees,' especially requests to use private transfer channels.
• ✅ Verify whether the project's official channels provide public technical white papers, audit reports, and verifiable computing power monitoring data.
• ✅ If in doubt, start with a small trial investment or use a third-party escrow platform, and keep complete chat logs and transfer vouchers for potential legal recourse.
• ✅ Pay attention to the latest bulletins and risk warnings from regulatory authorities, and report to the public security organs promptly if you discover similar scams.