CFTC seeks more info about Simple Wealth suspected of FX and binary options fraud

The United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has turned to Court in an attempt to secure more information about the activities of Simple Wealth amid suspicions that this entity is involved in Forex and binary options fraud.

On November 6, 2019, the CFTC filed a Motion to Compel with the Columbia District Court, requesting that Cody M. Wilson, the individual behind Simple Wealth, comply with a subpoena the regulator issued about a year ago.

On November 27, 2018, the CFTC through its Division of Enforcement, issued a subpoena to Cody M. Wilson. The Division issued the Subpoena based on information that suggested that Mr. Wilson may have misappropriated customer funds, or fraudulently solicited customers to pay (1) for training and trading tips regarding Forex or (2) for Mr. Wilson to trade binary options and Forex on customers’ behalves.

Mr. Wilson solicited customers through a variety of ventures, including an entity called Simple Wealth LLC.

Information obtained by the CFTC indicates that Mr. Wilson and his associates may have maintained a number of social media accounts to solicit customers, including Simple Wealth, Simple Wealth Academy, Team Unemployable, Young Millionaires and Onthehouse. Mr. Wilson and the Cody Wilson Entities offered products and services that went by a variety of names, including Simple Wallet, Simple Wealth Auto Trading, Greener Pastures, and the Simple Wealth Signal Group.

According to complaints received by the Commission, prospective customers were told that investing with Mr. Wilson or the Cody Wilson Entities would yield a significant payout in a short period time.

Certain individuals told the CFTC that they were unable to make withdrawals from their accounts with Mr. Wilson and Simple Wealth upon request. The investigative team obtained information suggesting that at some point in 2018, Mr. Wilson told customers that his trading accounts had been hacked, that all of the investors’ money had been stolen, and that neither he nor Simple Wealth would be able to return the individuals’ original investment or pay the returns the individuals had been promised.

In February 2019, Mr. Wilson produced a handful of documents in response to the Subpoena, but he has not responded to a majority of the Subpoena’s requests, and his limited response to the other requests appears entirely inadequate.

Now, the CFTC requests that the Court issue an order requiring Respondent Cody M. Wilson to show cause why he should not be compelled to comply with the administrative subpoena issued by the Commission on November 27, 2018. Should Mr. Wilson not show good cause, the Commission requests that the Court issue a subsequent order requiring Mr. Wilson to comply immediately in all respects with the Subpoena, including by

• (a) producing to the Commission all documents specified in Schedule A to the Subpoena that are in his possession, custody, or control, and
• (b) personally appearing before the Commission at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. to provide testimony.