Cryptocurrency platform Debiex has been ordered to pay approximately $2.5 million after failing to respond to a lawsuit by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which accused it of running a romance scam.
On March 13, Arizona federal court judge Douglas Rayes granted the CFTC's motion for summary judgment, ordering Debiex to return about $2.26 million it had taken from customers and imposing a civil penalty of nearly $221,500.
Judge Rayes found no evidence that Debiex's failure to respond to the CFTC was due to "excusable neglect."
The CFTC initiated the lawsuit in January 2024, alleging that Debiex staff engaged in a "pig butchering" scam, in which they formed romantic relationships on social media to build trust and persuade targets to invest in their platform.