I was excited when a friend invited me to join an exclusive crypto investment group on WhatsApp. The group was marketed as a collective effort to pool funds and invest in high-potential projects. Members were promised monthly returns of up to 15%, which seemed reasonable compared to other offers in the crypto space.

The group was active, with members constantly sharing their successes and praising the admins for their guidance. They had a structured plan: new members needed to invest a minimum of $1,000, and recruitment was encouraged to “grow the community.” Initially, everything seemed to work as promised. I received my first payout within two weeks, and the group chat was filled with excited messages from other members.

But then, things started to unravel. The admins became less responsive, and payouts were delayed. When I tried to withdraw my original investment, I was told there were additional fees for “transaction processing.” Other members also began voicing concerns, and soon, the group was deleted without warning.

I later realized that the entire operation was a pyramid scheme. Early investors were paid with the deposits of new members, and once recruitment slowed, the admins disappeared with the remaining funds. This experience taught me to be cautious of any investment group that relies heavily on recruiting new members. Always research thoroughly and avoid schemes that sound too reliant on constant growth to sustain payouts.