Recently, a case from the crypto world circulated that gave me a shock. Someone used a bank card to buy and sell USDT for arbitrage, with a transaction volume of 6.8 million, and was sentenced to 3 years. The charge was concealing and disguising criminal proceeds. Many people are completely unaware of how serious the risks of USDT scams behind this are.

I’ve summarized that ordinary people being sentenced for buying and selling U coins mainly relate to these charges.

First is aiding and abetting crime. You might receive stolen funds without realizing it. There’s a case where B sold 100k U, and the buyer was a scam gang, ultimately sentenced to 1.5 years. It’s that simple.

Next is the charge of concealing and disguising criminal proceeds. This is more serious. If you knowingly help transfer illicit funds, it’s over. The previous case of A was like this—knowing the buyer was a money laundering gang, yet still transacting 2.4 million, and was sentenced to 3 years and 2 months. Participants in U scam cases often fall into this trap step by step.

There’s also the crime of illegal business operation. Reselling USDT is essentially illegal foreign exchange trading. Someone set up an OTC platform, with transactions exceeding 300 million, and was sentenced to 5 years. This is no small matter.

Many people think their operations are safe, but they are mistaken. For example, thinking that not participating in scams means no problem? Wrong, indirectly transferring stolen money is also illegal. Or thinking cash transactions are safer? Not true—large cash sources of unknown origin can also be suspected of money laundering. Some say only doing transactions with acquaintances is fine? If the previous party gets caught, you could also be implicated.

What are the key standards for sentencing? First, whether the funds have a scam source, even once. Second, whether the transaction volume is large or frequent; exceeding 200k in flow may lead to prosecution. Third, whether you’ve used anonymous tools like Telegram, which makes it easy to be deemed as “knowingly involved.”

My advice is to stop off-platform trading. Don’t think that just because the bank has unblocked your account, you’re safe. If summoned, ask to see the police officer’s badge, read every point carefully before signing, and contact a lawyer immediately.

What if you’ve already been investigated? Print out your bank transaction records and stamp them, organize information about your trading counterparts, and prepare proof of legitimate fund sources. All these things should be ready.

Finally, remember that USDT is virtual property, not legal tender. Professionally reselling USDT is equivalent to disguised foreign exchange trading. If you receive stolen funds and do not stop trading immediately, you are likely to be considered as “knowingly involved.” Cases of USDT scams are increasing, and these are not alarmist warnings.