Australia’s corporate watchdog has warned that fake crypto platforms pushed through WhatsApp-style “trading groups” are targeting young investors with fabricated profits, fake order books and invented withdrawal fees.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has issued a fresh scam alert over fraudulent crypto trading platforms promoted through WhatsApp and other messaging apps, saying the sites display fake trades and fake profits while sending victims’ money directly to scammers. In the warning published May 24, ASIC said the platforms “show profits and trades, but in fact, there is no real trading, and the site contains fake data,” adding that “any money deposited into these platforms goes straight to the…