French Authorities Investigating $6.3M NFT Rug Pull Exposed by ZachXBT

• ZachXBT’s investigation reveals the NFT rug pull Animoon is under criminal investigation by French authorities.
• The Prosecutor of the Republic of Paris initiated the investigations, which have been conducted by BRDA since April 15.
• The PFP NFT project, promoted by Jake Paul, failed to deliver promised features and merchandise to holders.

On June 23, crypto sleuth ZachXBT shared that the French authorities are conducting a criminal investigation into Animoon, a $6.3 million NFT rug pull that he had previously exposed on Twitter.

According to a screenshot shared by the crypto investigator, the Prosecutor of the Republic of Paris initiated the investigations. Meanwhile, the BRDA (Brigade de Répression de la Délinquance Astucieuse) has been conducting them since April 15.

Moreover, the investigations are currently being managed by the Economic, Financial, and Commercial Affairs Section of the Public Prosecutor’s Office. As per the screenshot, the investigations focus on the NFT project Animoon and Trading Blatagang.

On June 2, 2022, ZachXBT claimed that the “NFT rug” Animoon, valued at $6.3 million at the time, had been scamming its holders since its inception.

ZachXBT further disclosed that the PFP NFT project featured a collection of 9,999 NFTs priced at 0.2 ETH. It was marketed as a P2E game with various utilities, including generous giveaways, breeding features, real-life trips, and more. However, five months after the launch, no promise had been delivered to participants. ZachXBT called out Jake Paul and said,

After almost 5 months nothing has been delivered. Yet another rug promoted by Jake Paul.

Moreover, ZachXBT revealed that a sum of $6.3 million was transferred to Binance and Kucoin exchange accounts, a few weeks after the launch. The project promised Jordan shoes to 100 holders, but according toZachXBT, no holders actually received the shoes.

While the Twitter account associated with Animoon has become non-functional, French rapper Booba was able to identify Animoon’s founders as Mounir Mokaddem and Singainy Marc Oceane.

ZachXBT noted the founders were residing in Dubai, and hence, shared the link to Dubai Police’s portal, urging users to file a report if they have been a victim of the NFT rug. Additionally, there was a class lawsuit already in motion against the two individuals, filed on January 23.