Can you spot an investment scam if it comes from a supposed friend’s social media page?

The FTC cautions consumers that if someone you supposedly know is suddenly posting bank account screenshots, claiming they can teach you to make money quickly with little to no risk, it’s likely an investment scam. 

For example, an “old friend” announces they have become an online investment guru. Your newsfeed then gets filled with reels about their “foolproof method of earning big money.” You then, perhaps, comment on your “friend’s” post, and they direct message you, explaining the process but with few details.

They might guarantee big returns and say it’s a limited time offer. To get started, they say to just send a few hundred dollars — maybe using cryptocurrency or a payment app like Venmo, Cash App, or PayPal. Then, poof! Your “friend” blocks you and your “investment” is gone. Unfortunately, it was a scammer who took over your friend’s account to get their followers (like you) to “invest” your hard-earned money.

If someone asks you to invest money in a situation like this, it could be a scam.

The FTC recommends the following ways to avoid investment scams before you respond:

• Slow down. Resist the pressure to click links or send money before you think it over. Scammers want you to act now and think later.
• Do some research. Look up the name of the company or program with words like “review,” “scam,” “fraud,” or “complaint.” See what others are saying. Then, go to Investor.gov for legit advice.
• Know the risk. There are no guaranteed returns — and no investments without risks. Scammers want you to think their opportunity is risk-free, but it’s not.
• If you still think it’s a scam, send an email or text to your real friend, in case their account has been hacked.
• If you spot an investment scam on your timeline, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the SEC at sec.gov/tcr.

Source: FTC.gov

About Kehoe Law Firm, P.C.

Kehoe Law Firm, P.C. is a nationally recognized, plaintiff-side class action firm dedicated to protecting investors and consumers from fraud and misconduct. Our attorneys have served as Lead or Co-Lead Counsel in major securities cases, recovering over $10 billion for institutional and individual investors.

Our firm litigates securities fraud, fiduciary breaches, unfair mergers and acquisitions, and antitrust violations, while also representing whistleblowers and advocating for victims of data breaches, consumer fraud, vehicle and product defects, employment law violations, retirement plan mismanagement, and other corporate and business misconduct. With a results-driven approach, we pursue justice and substantial recoveries for those we represent.

Kehoe Law Firm’s class action legal services are provided on a contingency-fee basis, meaning clients are not responsible for any fees or litigation expenses.

PHONE

Tel: 215-792-6676

EMAIL

[email protected]

On May 20, 2025, the SEC announced that New York City-based Unicoin, Inc. (“Unicoin”) and three of its top executives, CEO and Board Chairman Alex Konanykhin (Konanykhin); Silvina Moschini, former president, former board chairwoman, and current board member; and former Chief Investment Officer Alex Dominguez, were charged for false and misleading statements in an offering of certificates that purportedly conveyed rights to receive crypto assets called Unicoin tokens and an offering of Unicoin, Inc.’s common stock.

The SEC has alleged that Unicoin widely marketed rights certificates to the public through extensive promotional efforts, including advertisements in major airports, on thousands of New York City taxis, and on television and social media. Among other things, Unicoin and its executives allegedly convinced more than 5,000 investors to purchase rights certificates through false and misleading statements that portrayed them as investments in safe, stable, and profitable “next generation” crypto assets, including claims that:

• Unicoin tokens underlying the rights certificates were “asset-backed” by billions of dollars of real estate and equity interests in pre-IPO companies, when Unicoin’s assets were never worth more than a small fraction of that amount;
• Unicoin sold more than $3 billion in rights certificates, when it raised no more than $110 million; and
• the rights certificates and Unicoin tokens were “SEC-registered” or “U.S. registered” when they were not.

According to the SEC’s complaint, Unicoin and Konanykhin also violated the federal securities laws by engaging in unregistered offers and sales of rights certificates. Allegedly, Konanykhin offered and sold over 37.9 million of his rights certificates to offer better pricing and target investors the company had prohibited from participating in the offering to avoid jeopardizing its exemption to registration requirements.

The SEC’s complaint also charged Unicoin’s general counsel, Richard Devlin, with violating the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws by negligently making similar misstatements in private placement memoranda Unicoin used to offer and sell rights certificates and Unicoin common stock. 

For more information, click Unicoin Securities Offering Fraud Complaint. 

Source: SEC.gov

About Kehoe Law Firm, P.C.

Kehoe Law Firm, P.C. is a nationally recognized, plaintiff-side class action firm dedicated to protecting investors and consumers from fraud and misconduct. Our attorneys have served as Lead or Co-Lead Counsel in major securities cases, recovering over $10 billion for institutional and individual investors.

Our firm litigates securities fraud, fiduciary breaches, unfair mergers and acquisitions, and antitrust violations, while also representing whistleblowers and advocating for victims of data breaches, consumer fraud, vehicle and product defects, employment law violations, retirement plan mismanagement, and other corporate and business misconduct. With a results-driven approach, we pursue justice and substantial recoveries for those we represent.

Kehoe Law Firm’s class action legal services are provided on a contingency-fee basis, meaning clients are not responsible for any fees or litigation expenses.

PHONE

Tel: 215-792-6676

EMAIL

[email protected]