Chinese fraud victims challenge UK redress plan for 61,000 seized Bitcoin: FT

Chinese investors defrauded in the Zhimin Qian case are asking the UK High Court to reject a redress plan for 61,000 seized Bitcoin, saying it could deprive them of the assets’ gains.

Victims of a Chinese investment fraud are challenging a United Kingdom proposal to compensate them through a Chinese redress scheme, arguing the plan could leave British authorities holding much of the upside from roughly 61,000 Bitcoin seized in a money-laundering investigation.

According to the Financial Times, citing court documents, the dispute has moved into the UK High Court as groups representing victims seek to recover funds linked to the cryptocurrency seized by police in London. The Bitcoin (BTC) haul is now worth about 3.2 billion pounds ($4.3 billion) after rising sharply in value since the assets were confiscated.

Law firm Candey, which represents about 5,700 victims, said the proposed compensation arrangement may not guarantee fair restitution. The fraud scheme itself reportedly affected more than 128,000 investors in China, according to court documents cited by the FT.

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