Summary
Five individuals were sentenced to prison for their roles in a Ponzi-like scheme. This incident occured in Austria, where the sentenced individuals involved themselves in the EXW-Token scam that defrauded over 40,000 investors out of €20 million ($21.6 million).
Landmark Crypto Fraud Trial Ends in Sentencing
Austria’s largest crypto fraud case to date, took a year-long trial and 60 days of hearings. The Klagenfurt Regional Court sentenced five individuals involved in the EXW-token scam. The individuals were found guilty of running a Ponzi-like scheme, persuading investors with promises of daily returns through fraudulent ventures,including the EXW Wallet and fictitious investments in real estate and rental cars.This fraudulent scheme had already collapsed in 2020 but briefly managed to resurface under the name Exchange World.
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Lavish Spending Funded by Fraud
Court recordings reveal that the defendants were using the stolen funds to facilitate their lavish lifestyles; luxury cars, private jets and mansions. Out of all the stolen goods some of the stolen goods was allegedly transfered from Dubai to Austria.Two of the defendants received five-year sentences, with others handed 30-month and 18-month suspended sentences. EXW Wallet co-founders Benjamin Herzog and Pirmin Troger had already pleaded guilty and received five-year sentences.
A Rising Global Threat
The EXW-Token case highlights a troubling increase in crypto scams globally. France recently began its own $30 million crypto fraud trial, while the U.S. sentenced a Ponzi promoter to prison. With crypto-related frauds surging, authorities worldwide are cracking down to protect investors and maintain trust in the cryptocurrency market.