Cryptocurrency broker Tony Alin Trading Firm appears to be engaged in fraud against California consumers

The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) has received a complaint from at least one California resident regarding a crypto investment.

The victim said that Tony Alin Berker asked them for $6,000 to invest, saying there would be no other fees. Then, Tony asked the victim for another $11,000 to “merge the accounts.” Then Tony said the victim needed to $8,100 for IRS fees. The victim paid Tony all the money, and he promised the victim they would get $270,000. But the victim never received anything back. The victim said a good friend also lost $48,000 to Tony Alin Berker. The company operated a website at https://www.tonyalinberker.com.

This appears to be what is commonly called an “Advance Fee scheme,” which can take many forms, as discussed here:  https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/advance-fee-schemes. This also appears to be what’s known as a Social Media Scam, which is described here: https://dfpi.ca.gov/2022/05/20/romance-scams-and-crypto-assets-fact-or-fraud/

The DFPI urges consumers to exercise extreme caution before responding to any solicitation offering investment or financial services.  To check whether an investment or financial service provider is licensed in California, consumers may contact the Department for questions or inquiries at ask.dfpi@dfpi.ca.gov or call toll-free at (866) 275-2677.  If a consumer believes a person or company has violated state law or acted improperly regarding a consumer financial product or service, they may file a formal complaint with the DFPI at https://dfpi.ca.gov/file-a-complaint/.