An "investment community" promises crypto trading returns and pays commissions to recruit others — it's an MLM Ponzi
A contact introduces you to a crypto "trading community" promising passive returns from automated bots plus recruitment commissions. Early payouts build trust. Withdrawals later freeze. The scheme relies on new deposits to pay earlier members — a Ponzi with an MLM recruitment layer. AMF Québec issued a warning Sept 18 2026.
Also known as: MLM crypto Ponzi Canada, crypto trading community Ponzi, Tag Markets Canada scam, Daisy Global MLM crypto Canada, recruitment crypto investment scam, unregistered crypto MLM Canada, automated trading bot Ponzi Canada
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
- 1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
- 2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
- 3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.
What to do right now
- 1 Do not invest. Verify any firm or platform at https://www.aretheyregistered.ca — if not listed, it is not authorized to take your money
- 2 Do not recruit friends or family: if the platform freezes withdrawals, you will be responsible for their losses
- 3 If you have already deposited: stop sending any further funds. Document all transactions and communications
- 4 Report to the AMF Québec at https://lautorite.qc.ca (Québec) or the OSC at 1-877-785-1555 (Ontario) or your provincial securities regulator
- 5 File with the CAFC to build the national fraud picture — crypto losses are rarely recovered but reports help authorities track and shut down these platforms
- 6 Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.
Red flags
- ⚠ The opportunity arrived through a personal contact — friend, family member, community group, or church — who is also a member and earns commission on your sign-up
- ⚠ The platform promises fixed or guaranteed monthly returns from automated trading bots (e.g. '3–5% per month'), without explaining how the bots generate these returns
- ⚠ You are explicitly encouraged to recruit others to earn commissions on their deposits — legitimate investment returns do not require you to build a downline
- ⚠ The platform is not registered with the AMF, OSC, or other provincial regulator — verify at aretheyregistered.ca before depositing anything
- ⚠ Withdrawal requests trigger delays, new 'compliance' or 'verification' requirements, or demands for a further deposit to unlock funds
- ⚠ The brand changes name periodically (Crowd1 → Daisy Global → AITech → Sonic AI) while the leadership and ibportal.io infrastructure stay the same
Sources
- AMF Québec — Investor Warning: Tag Markets / T.M. Financials LTD (September 18, 2026)
- Canadian Securities Administrators — Tag Markets (unregistered entity)
- BehindMLM — Tag Markets securities fraud warning from Canada (QC), September 2026
- OSC — Investor warnings and alerts 2026
- AMF Québec — Investor Warning: Tag Markets / T.M. Financials LTD still unregistered September 2026 (confirmed)