The US SEC has accused counterfeit cryptocurrency platforms NanoBit and CoinW6 of defrauding investors and stealing their funds, the network reported, the first time the agency has accused such scams.。The SEC filed two lawsuits against five entities and three people on Tuesday in Federal District Court for the Eastern District of New York and Federal District Court for the Central District of California.。Both lawsuits claim investors were "induced" on social media, including via WhatsApp, LinkedIn and Instagram, as part of a "relationship investment scam."。SEC Enforcement Division Director GurbirS。Grewal said in a statement on Tuesday: "Relationship investment scams, including those involving investments in crypto assets, pose a risk of catastrophic harm to retail investors, and the threat is growing rapidly as these scams become more popular among scammers.。From October 2023 to June 2024, scammers posed as "financial industry professionals" through WhatsApp groups, allowing customers to invest through a fake crypto platform called NanoBit.。To convince investors that the platform was safe, NanoBit lied about its affiliate, Nanobit US Securities, being an SEC-registered broker.。These so-called financial professionals then trumpeted the bogus IC0, saying it would provide investors with decent returns.。The funds were not used for investment but instead went to "program participants," who then remitted more than $2 million to Hong Kong, China, through their bank accounts.。As for CoinW6, the SEC said those involved in the program pretended to be wealthy young professionals, contacted victimized investors through LinkedIn and Instagram, while also "pursuing romantic relationships on WhatsApp."。The alleged scammers claim that investors can earn up to 3% a day from CoinW6's stock, mining and other products.。"In effect, investors' funds are misappropriated and their apparent investments, profits and account balances are fictitious," the SEC said.。