US charges six in alleged Madagascar NFT investment scam

New charges, not a finding of guilt

US prosecutors announced charges against six people on 27 October 2026 over an alleged NFT investment scam operated from Madagascar. According to the Department of Justice, the operation used dating-site contacts to persuade Americans to interact with fraudulent investment websites. Chui Kok Wa is accused of leading the scheme and faces a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. These are prosecution allegations; the announcement does not establish a conviction, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

How the alleged wallet scheme worked

Editorial analysis · based on the cited records

The DOJ says false romantic personas encouraged victims to connect cryptocurrency wallets to NFT-related sites, keep adding funds, and then had funds removed without their knowledge. For anyone reviewing a similar incident, the invitation, wallet interaction and outgoing transfers are distinct pieces of evidence. An investment-page screenshot alone cannot establish who authorised a transfer or where the money ultimately went. Preserve the original messages alongside the transaction record rather than relying only on a displayed account balance.

The wider seizure total is not this case's loss

Editorial analysis · based on the cited records

The same announcement says the Scam Center Strike Force has restrained more than $1 billion in cryptocurrency across its work. That is an aggregate enforcement figure, not the amount allegedly stolen in this NFT case. It also should not be read as money already paid back to these victims. The release provides no individual compensation timetable for the people affected by the Madagascar allegations.

What a useful fraud report contains

Practical checklist · not an audit of another provider

FBI guidance asks complainants to retain cryptocurrency addresses, asset types and amounts, transaction hashes, and transaction dates and times. Add the website domains and the accounts or phone numbers used to contact you. Reports can be submitted to IC3 even when no financial loss occurred. Keep sensitive evidence out of public comment threads and submit it through the official reporting channel. The FBI also warns about recovery services demanding an upfront payment: a new fee request is not evidence that someone can retrieve your funds.