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Fortune
Fortune
Carlos Garcia, Ben Weiss

Melania Trump memecoin team ‘weaponized fame to disarm diligence’ in sprawling crypto conspiracy, alleges court filing

Melania Trump standing behind a podium with American flag behind her (Credit: Sarah L. Voisin—The Washington Post/Getty Images)

Melania Trump’s memecoin was just one of 15 fraudulent tokens launched as part of an elaborate scheme to trick crypto investors. That’s according to a new court filing in a putative class action lawsuit, which accuses the defendants of obtaining the first lady’s endorsement of her cryptocurrency as part of a scheme that “weaponized fame to disarm diligence.” 

The legal filing, submitted on Tuesday, is the newest update in a case that dates back to May, when the firm Burwick Law filed a complaint on behalf of investors against a host of entities that sold memecoins, or cryptocurrencies that have no inherent utility and whose value is tied to the popularity of a joke or person.

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