Federal Court Orders Over $2.2 Million in Restitution for Debiex Crypto Romance Scam Victims

A federal court in Arizona has issued a default judgment against Debiex, a fraudulent digital asset trading platform, following enforcement action by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The court found Debiex liable for digital asset commodity fraud and the misappropriation of more than $2 million in investor funds. The court order, issued on March 13, 2025, requires Debiex to pay over $2.2 million in restitution to victims and a civil monetary penalty of $221,466. Furthermore, Debiex is permanently banned from trading in CFTC-regulated markets and from registering with the agency. According to the CFTC, the Debiex operation relied on a multi-tiered fraudulent scheme designed to deceive unsuspecting users: 1. Solicitors: Fraudsters contacted targets on U.S.-based social media platforms, feigning romantic interest or friendship to gain trust before convincing them to open and fund accounts on Debiex. 2. Customer Service: Conspirators posed as platform representatives to help victims set up and manage their purported Debiex accounts. 3. Money Mules: Digital asset wallets held by intermediaries were used to receive and misappropriate client deposits. In this case, relief defendant Zhāng Chéng Yáng, a Chinese national, acted as a money mule. A separate court order issued on March 12, 2025, directed that approximately $120,000 in digital assets remaining in Zhang's wallet be returned to the victim from whom the funds were stolen. The CFTC confirmed that Debiex operated websites that merely mimicked legitimate trading platforms. The trading accounts displayed on the interface were entirely fabricated, and no genuine digital asset commodity trading was ever conducted on behalf of customers. While the court ordered significant restitution, the CFTC cautioned victims that recovery of lost assets is not guaranteed, as wrongdoers often lack sufficient funds or have dispersed the stolen capital. Investors are strongly advised to check registration statuses using tools such as NFA BASIC before depositing money with any trading entity and to remain vigilant against romance investment solicitations on social media.