Pump and Dump Scams
Pump-and-dump schemes orchestrate coordinated buying to inflate the price of an obscure share or crypto token, then sell at the top — leaving late buyers with worthless holdings. Social media has supercharged this old fraud.
90%
Of pumped tokens lose nearly all value within hours of the dump
$2bn+
Estimated annual losses to crypto pump-and-dump alone
4.8 ★
Trustpilot rating
Secure
Encrypted case vault
Overview
Pump-and-dump schemes orchestrate coordinated buying to inflate the price of an obscure share or crypto token, then sell at the top — leaving late buyers with worthless holdings. Social media has supercharged this old fraud.
Warning Signs to Watch For
- • Hyped messaging about an obscure stock or token in Telegram, Discord, or WhatsApp groups
- • "Insider" tips with a specific buy time or target price
- • Sudden volume spike on a thinly traded asset
- • Influencer endorsements with no risk disclosures
- • Pressure to buy quickly "before the news drops"
How Pump-and-Dump Schemes Work
Organisers accumulate a position in an obscure asset at low prices. They then orchestrate a coordinated buying campaign — through paid influencers, Telegram groups, and bot networks — to drive the price up. As soon as the rally peaks, they sell into the buying pressure, leaving late participants with collapsing holdings.
Recovery Routes
Where the orchestrators are identifiable (often through on-chain analysis or paid-promotion records), civil claims for market manipulation become viable. Regulatory action by the FCA or SEC can also drive disgorgement of proceeds.
Our Approach
Investigate
We identify the orchestrators of the scheme through trading patterns and social-media records.
Trace
We follow the proceeds through exchanges and wallets to identify the dumpers.
Pursue
We file regulatory complaints with the FCA and SEC and civil action where viable.
Recover
We pursue recovery from identified orchestrators and any negligent platforms.