The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently initiated legal action against two brothers accused of orchestrating a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of $60 million. The complaint, filed in August in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta, alleges that Jonathan Adam and Tanner Adam deceived over 80 individuals by claiming to operate a crypto bot promising a monthly return of 13.5%.
According to the SEC, the Adams brothers misled investors by falsely asserting that their bot could identify arbitrage opportunities and generate profits through lending pools and flash loans. However, the regulator discovered that the bot was entirely fictitious, with the siblings allegedly using the majority of the raised funds for personal expenses, such as luxury cars and a multimillion-dollar condominium.
The SEC also alleges that Jonathan Adam concealed his criminal history, including previous convictions for securities fraud, from investors. Moreover, the brothers reassured users of the system that the investment risk was minimal, failing to disclose the true nature of their operations. The agency has since obtained emergency asset freezes for the brothers’ companies and is seeking the return of all investor funds, along with civil penalties.
Legal Action and Investigation
Both Jonathan and Tanner Adam have been charged with violating federal securities laws’ anti-fraud provisions. While Jonathan invoked the Fifth Amendment in response to a subpoena for testimony, Tanner did not comply with the SEC’s requests for documents or testimony. The agency’s investigation revealed a substantial decrease in crypto funds directed towards scam-related addresses in 2023, indicating a broader crackdown on fraudulent schemes within the industry.
In a related case, the SEC recently charged NovaTech Ltd. and its principals for defrauding a large number of investors through false promises of profits from safe crypto and foreign exchange investments. These recent enforcement actions underscore the SEC’s commitment to protecting investors and maintaining the integrity of the financial markets by holding fraudulent actors accountable for their actions.
