The Crisis of Haru Invest and Ponzi Scheme
Host: Reporter Jang Se-jin
Guest: Pureun “Ian” Hong, managing partner at Decent Law Firm
Q. What is the Haru Invest incident?
- Haru Invest operated a virtual asset deposit service. Subtitle: The suspension of virtual asset deposits by Haru Invest is spreading. Subtitle: Haru Invest is in a state of over-indebtedness or insolvency.
Q. It’s been two weeks since Haru Invest suspended withdrawals… what is the current situation?
- Delio and Haru Invest have been suspending withdrawals for two weeks… a notice regarding issue resolution has been posted.
- Haru Invest stated, “We will take legal action against B&S Holdings for fraud and embezzlement.”
Q. Why can’t Haru Invest come up with a solution?
- Haru Invest is in a state of over-indebtedness or insolvency.
Q. Is Haru Invest’s “exit scam” controversy fraudulent?
- Financial authorities stated, “Haru Invest is not under supervision… it should be viewed as a fraud case.”
- They blocked deposits and withdrawals, closed their office, and disappeared.
- Haru Invest was not registered as a virtual asset service provider.
Q. Why is Haru Invest’s “exit scam” being considered a fraud case?
- Despite being over-indebted or insolvent, Haru Invest continued to raise funds from investors.
- Haru Invest investors are initiating a class action lawsuit.
Q. What is the direction of the investigation into Haru Invest, an overseas corporation?
- There are suspicions that Haru Invest established an overseas corporation to evade regulation following the “withdrawal suspension.”
- The prosecution has imposed travel bans on key suspects related to B&S, Haru, and Delio.
Q. What is the current situation with Haru Invest executives’ travel bans?
- Haru Invest Korea executives and many members of Korean companies such as BlockCrafters are listed as directors.
- Testimony from Haru Invest staff and others is necessary.
Q. What is the direction of the investigation into the Haru Invest incident?
- Testimonies from Haru Invest staff are essential to confirm the details.
- Objective evidence related to Haru Invest must be collected before summoning executives.
Q. What is the current situation of the damages suffered by Haru Invest investors?
- Haru Invest blocked withdrawals and communication; within three days, users reported damages amounting to 100 billion KRW.
- About 1,000 more people are waiting to report damages… the scale of damage is expected to grow.
Q. What are the solutions for Haru Invest investor victims?
- Civil lawsuits and criminal complaints related to Haru Invest’s illegal activities can proceed simultaneously.
- “It is possible to sue the individual executives and employees of Haru Invest who committed illegal activities.”
- Personal assets of the employees, such as apartments, cars, and bank deposits, can be seized.
Q. Why couldn't the Haru Invest “exit scam” be prevented?
- Investors were enticed by the promise of guaranteed high returns.
- Coin deposit schemes to attract investors are thriving in regulatory blind spots.
- Due to unverified high-return advertisements, there was a rush of blind investments.
- Careful decision-making is crucial when investing.
