Finfluencer Pleads Guilty After Running $800,000 Investment Scheme via Facebook Group

A social media trader operating through a Facebook group has pleaded guilty in the U.S. after running an investment scheme that collected nearly $800,000 from retail participants.

Kenneth Thom, who used the aliases “K$” and “K Money,” built an audience through a Facebook community known as the “K$ Trading Group,” where he posted trade results and market commentary to position himself as a profitable trader.

The setup shifted from content and signals into capital pooling. Group members were invited to join “shared accounts,” sending funds directly to Thom to be traded on their behalf, with profits to be split.

Roughly 67 individuals participated, transferring a combined total close to $800,000.

Only part of the funds entered the market. About $350,000 was traded, mainly in options, while the rest was diverted to personal spending. Trading performance was negative, with losses exceeding 70% of deployed capital over the period.

Inside the group, however, a different picture was presented. Posts showed positive returns and high-performing accounts, including claims of triple-digit gains, creating the impression that the strategy was working and encouraging continued participation.

The group structure remained active until early 2025, when it was renamed “AYBABTU.” Activity then dropped off and communication with participants stopped.

Thom had previously been registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority but was no longer authorised at the time he was operating the Facebook-based scheme.

The case centres on a social media-driven investment setup, where audience trust, performance posts, and direct fund transfers replaced traditional brokerage channels. Thom has entered a guilty plea and is scheduled for sentencing in June 2026.