GACS Research Team

🇺🇸 United States · Investment Scam Hub · 2026

Investment scams in United States: spot, verify & report

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Ponzi schemes, fake hedge funds, paid signal groups, pig-butchering and clone-firm fraud active in United States in 2025-26 — the local regulator registers that disprove them and the reporting channels that actually freeze funds.

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Recently exposed scams

Live from the GACS registry — click any entry to see the full report, red flags, and reporting channels for that specific scam.

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Check the platform URL before you read the rest

Most investment scams die at the URL. Paste the site you're being pitched — WHOIS age, blacklist hits, typosquat matches and known-scam signals come back in seconds. If it's already flagged in United States or globally, you can stop here.

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Red flags

Guaranteed returns above market — 1% per day, 20% per month, 'risk-free' yield.
Pressure to recruit friends or family for a bonus or 'tier upgrade'.
Returns paid in the platform's own token or in-app balance, not bankable currency.
'Hedge fund' or 'asset manager' with no filing on the national securities register.
Telegram / Discord signal group charging upfront for guaranteed winners.
Affinity pitch — same church, ethnic community, military unit, or alumni group.
Withdrawal triggers a new tax, KYC, or 'capital release' fee that wasn't disclosed up front.

5 steps to verify an investment in United States

1
Verify the firm on SEC
Look up the entity on U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (https://www.sec.gov/edgar/search-and-access).
2
Stress-test the return math
Compounding 1% per day = 3,778% per year. The best hedge funds compound ~20% per year. Anything 'guaranteed' above ~10% annual is misrepresented risk or fraud.
3
Refuse recruitment-for-yield
Recruitment-for-yield is the signature of a Ponzi/MLM hybrid — real returns come from invested capital, not from new deposits paying old ones.
4
Test a small withdrawal early
Deposit the minimum, accrue one cycle, and withdraw. If a new fee, tax, or KYC step appears, your full balance is the bait.
5
Report to FTC ReportFraud portal
File with FTC ReportFraud portal, SEC Tips, Complaints, and Referrals, FINRA Investor Complaint Center / BrokerCheck in parallel and contact your bank for recall before funds move.

If you've already been scammed — where to report

Report an investment scam website

Get the site delisted from Google and flagged by Safe Browsing.

If the scam was crypto-denominated

Exchange freezes, USDT/USDC freezes, IC3 templates.

Global reporting hub

All channels — phone, email, text, crypto, website.

FAQ

How do I verify whether an investment company or promoter is legitimate in the United States?

Use the SEC’s public investor tools to check whether a firm or person is registered, then cross-check the SEC’s investor alerts and enforcement pages. The SEC’s Investor.gov site explains that many investment scams involve unlicensed people or unregistered firms, and it specifically recommends verifying licenses before sending money.

Where should I report an investment scam in the United States?

Report suspected investment fraud to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and, if securities are involved, also file with the SEC and FINRA. The FTC says consumers should report investment scams there, while the SEC’s investor guidance points victims toward registration checks and investor protection resources.

Which official databases should I use before investing?

For broker-dealer or adviser misconduct, FINRA BrokerCheck and the SEC’s public registration databases are the first checks; for commodity or precious-metals offers, the CFTC database is also relevant. The FTC’s consumer guidance explicitly tells consumers to verify people recommending or selling investments through Investor.gov and, for precious metals or coins, the CFTC database.

Can investment-scam losses be recovered in the United States?

Recovery is usually limited once money has been moved, especially in crypto or wire-transfer cases, but immediate action can still help. Victims should contact their bank or card issuer at once, preserve evidence, and file reports with the FTC, SEC, FINRA, and law enforcement; fast bank recall or wire-recall attempts are most realistic in the earliest hours after payment.

Which federal agencies matter most for investment scams?

The SEC is the primary securities regulator, the FTC is the main national fraud-reporting body, and the FBI’s IC3 is the federal cyber-fraud reporting channel often used for online investment fraud. Those agencies each maintain public complaint/reporting channels and investor alerts that are intended for victims and prospective investors.

Are social-media investment scams a major threat in the United States?

Social-media-originated investment scams are a major problem, with the FTC reporting $1.1 billion in losses from investment scams that started on social media in 2025. The FTC also said nearly 30% of people who reported losing money to a scam said it started on social media, underscoring how heavily scammers use platforms and direct messaging.

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Global investment scams hub

The umbrella guide covering every typology beyond the country-specific view.

The pig-butchering playbook

The romance + investment hybrid driving billions in losses worldwide.

Cryptocurrency scams — full field guide

Fake exchanges, rug pulls, wallet drainers and recovery cons.

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APA: GACS. (2026). Investment Scams in United States — 2026 Guide. GACS — Global Anti-Crime & Safety. Retrieved November 8, 2026, from https://gacs.app/investment-scams/us
MLA: "Investment Scams in United States — 2026 Guide." GACS — Global Anti-Crime & Safety, GACS, 2026, https://gacs.app/investment-scams/us. Accessed November 8, 2026.
Chicago: GACS. "Investment Scams in United States — 2026 Guide." GACS — Global Anti-Crime & Safety. Accessed November 8, 2026. https://gacs.app/investment-scams/us.
BibTeX: @misc{gacs_investment_scams_us, author = {GACS}, title = {Investment Scams in United States — 2026 Guide}, howpublished = {GACS — Global Anti-Crime & Safety}, year = {2026}, note = {Accessed: November 8, 2026}, url = {https://gacs.app/investment-scams/us} }

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Cite this page: GACS (2026). Investment Scams in United States — 2026 Guide. https://gacs.app/investment-scams/us · Record ID GACS-investment-scams-us

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Related GACS research

Latest alert digests

Weekly and thematic scam roundups from the GACS intelligence feed.

🇺🇸 United States · 2025-2026

U.S. consumers reported $2.1 billion in losses from scams that started on social media in 2025, including $1.1 billion from investment scams alone (FTC, https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/04/new-ftc-data-show-people-have-lost-billions-social-media-scams).

Typical opening deposit local scammers ask for (USD): Typically $250 USD to $5,000 USD, with many crypto and social-media pitches starting at $250 USD and escalating quickly after an initial deposit.

Top investment-scam typologies in United States (2025-26)

Crypto and digital-asset investment fraud
Scammers promote fake or manipulated crypto opportunities, often using celebrity-style branding, app-based dashboards, and fabricated profits. These schemes frequently rely on unregistered offerings, fake exchanges, and transfer demands that become harder to reverse once funds are sent.
Case: SEC v. Terraform Labs / Do Kwon (2024)
Social-media-originated investment scams
Fraudsters recruit victims through ads, influencer-style posts, and direct messages on social platforms, then move them into private channels for pitching bogus investments. The FTC said social-media-starting scams produced $2.1 billion in reported losses in 2025, with investment scams accounting for $1.1 billion of that total.
Case: FTC social-media scam data release (2026)
Pig-butchering / relationship-based investment fraud
Offenders build trust through messaging apps, dating apps, and long-term contact before introducing a supposed high-return opportunity. Victims are often shown fake dashboards and are later blocked or pressured to pay extra fees to withdraw.
Case: NASAA enforcement trend reports cited by Utah DFI (2026)
Promissory notes, Ponzi, and pyramid schemes
These schemes use money from new investors to pay earlier participants or promise fixed returns from vague business activity. They remain prevalent because they are easy to market, especially to older adults and affinity groups, and often use unregistered securities.
Case: SEC and state enforcement actions against unregistered offerings (2024-2026)
Impersonation and clone-firm fraud
Scammers impersonate real advisers, brokers, or agencies using spoofed phone numbers, copied websites, and forged documents. They create urgency and secrecy, then push victims to wire money, move funds to crypto, or pay fake taxes or release fees.
Case: Public warnings from SEC, FTC, and state regulators in 2025-2026

Red flags specific to United States

Promises of **risk-free** or guaranteed returns, especially if the promoter minimizes risk disclosures or says they are just a formality.
Requests to move the conversation to **encrypted messaging**, private group chats, or disappearing apps, especially after first contact on social media or dating apps.
Pressure to keep the opportunity **secret** from family, friends, or a financial adviser.
Claims of **extraordinary profits** with no losses, or “easy” gains from crypto, trading bots, or AI-driven systems.
Requests for **fees, taxes, or unlock payments** before withdrawals can be released.
Unregistered firms or promoters who cannot be verified in **SEC**, **FINRA BrokerCheck**, or the **CFTC** databases.
Impersonation of a legitimate firm, adviser, or government-related entity through spoofed caller ID, email, or lookalike websites.

Verify a firm before you invest — United States regulators

SECU.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Check registration status of firms and advisers, and review investor alerts and enforcement actions for securities fraud.
Open register
FINRAFinancial Industry Regulatory Authority
Use BrokerCheck to verify brokers and brokerage firms and review disciplinary histories.
Open register
CFTCCommodity Futures Trading Commission
Check commodity, forex, and precious-metals related fraud alerts and registration information for market participants.
Open register
FTCFederal Trade Commission
Use the FTC’s fraud-reporting portal for consumer scams, including investment scams that begin on social media or by impersonation.
Open register

Where to report an investment scam in United States

FTC ReportFraud portal
Use to report investment scams and other fraud to the national consumer fraud-reporting body.
reportfraud.ftc.gov
SEC Tips, Complaints, and Referrals
Use when the scheme involves securities, advisers, broker-dealers, offerings, or market manipulation.
www.sec.gov/tcr
FINRA Investor Complaint Center / BrokerCheck
Use to verify brokers and file complaints about broker misconduct or suspicious sales activity.
www.finra.org/investors
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
Use for online investment fraud, crypto scams, wire fraud, and related cybercrime.
www.ic3.gov
CFTC Whistleblower / Fraud Reporting
Use for commodity, forex, precious-metals, or related derivatives scams.
www.cftc.gov/complaint

If you've already lost money in United States

In the U.S., the most realistic recovery path is immediate bank/wire recall, card dispute, or exchange freeze before funds are dissipated; once money is converted to crypto or moved offshore, recovery rates fall sharply. Victims should preserve messages, transaction records, wallet addresses, and account screenshots, then report to the FTC, SEC, FINRA, FBI IC3, and their bank so regulators and law enforcement can build a trail and, where possible, coordinate asset freezes or restitution through enforcement actions.

Read the full recovery playbook →

Investment scams by country

Sources

Authoritative sources

Independent primary sources used to check and corroborate the guidance on this page.

US Commodity Futures Trading Commission — Customer Advisories
Regulator advisories on crypto investment and romance-investment fraud.
US Securities and Exchange Commission — Investor.gov Alerts
Investment fraud warnings and firm/registration lookups.
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
Report crypto-investment losses and read the annual IC3 report.
Chainalysis Crypto Crime Reports
Independent on-chain research on illicit crypto flows.