Recently, I came across a pretty alarming case in the community that I want to share with everyone. A friend was sentenced to 3 years for buying and selling USDT, with the charge being "Concealing and disguising criminal proceeds." His bank transaction record only showed 6.8 million yuan, and he was convicted. I was quite shocked when I heard this because many people think that as long as they’re not involved in scams, they won’t get into trouble. But the reality is much more complicated than we imagine.

First, let’s talk about why ordinary people buying and selling U coins can get into trouble. In fact, the law has strict regulations in this area, and there are three main charges to watch out for. The first is aiding and abetting a crime. If your trading partner happens to be a scam gang, even if you’re unaware, you could still be convicted. I heard of a case where someone sold 100k USDT to a buyer, who turned out to be a scam group, and the seller was sentenced to 1.5 years.

The second, and more common trap—concealing and disguising criminal proceeds. This means that if you know the source of the funds is problematic but continue to help transfer them, you are directly breaking the law. The friend I mentioned earlier actually knew the buyer was involved in money laundering but still continued to trade 2.4 million yuan, and was ultimately sentenced to 3 years and 2 months. In such cases, the law considers you to have "knowingly" participated.

The third is illegal business operations. Professionally reselling USDT is essentially engaging in illegal foreign exchange trading. Someone set up an OTC platform with transaction volumes exceeding 300 million yuan and was sentenced to 5 years. These cases show that treating virtual currency trading as a business carries significant risks.

So, under what circumstances is someone considered to have "knowingly" participated? I’ve summarized a few key points. First, if there has been even one instance of scam funds involved in the transaction, it can be deemed as "knowingly." Second, large transaction volumes and high frequency (usually over 200k yuan in transactions) can lead to legal action. Also, using anonymous tools like Telegram makes it easier for law enforcement to determine that you are intentionally hiding something.

Many people have misconceptions about "safe practices." For example, thinking "as long as I don’t participate in scams, I’m safe," but indirectly transferring stolen funds is also illegal. Some believe "cash transactions are safer," but large cash sources of unknown origin can also be suspected of money laundering. Others think "trading only with friends" is safe, but if your trading partner gets caught, you could also be implicated. These are common misconceptions in cases related to U coin scams.

If you are still engaged in OTC trading, my advice is to stop immediately. Don’t hold onto the hope that "once the bank unfreezes my account, I’m safe." If you are suddenly summoned, first ask to see the officer’s badge, and before signing anything, make sure to read every detail carefully. Most importantly, contact a lawyer immediately.

If you are already under investigation, you need to start preparing your materials. Print out bank transaction records and get them stamped, organize all information about your trading counterparts, and most importantly, prepare proof of legitimate sources of funds. These will be helpful for your case later.

Finally, I want to emphasize a few points. Although USDT is virtual property, it is not legal tender, which many people overlook. Professionally reselling USDT is equivalent to covert foreign exchange trading, and the law’s attitude toward this is very clear. Most importantly, if you receive stolen funds but do not stop trading immediately, you could be considered to have "knowingly" participated, which is where many people get into trouble. Seeing these cases related to U coin scams, it’s really time to pay attention.