Internet star Haliey Welch, known as the “Hawk Tuah Girl,” revealed that the FBI and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigated her involvement in the failed launch of the meme coin HAWK. The token, inspired by her viral catchphrase, collapsed shortly after its release. Welch claims she made no profit and was following the instructions of an unidentified company.
Visit From Federal Agents
In a recent episode of the Talk Tuah podcast, Welch recounted how FBI agents arrived at her grandmother’s home shortly after the token’s launch. Her grandmother panicked and called her, thinking federal agents were after her. According to Welch, she voluntarily handed over her phone and answered all questions related to the HAWK project.
“They interrogated me and asked a bunch of questions about crypto. Then they let me go — said they had no claims,” she stated.
SEC Involvement
After the FBI, the SEC stepped in. The agency confiscated Welch’s phone for two to three days to examine its contents. Later, attorney James Sallah told TMZ that the investigation had concluded and that no charges or fines were brought against his client.
HAWK Failure and “The Wrong People”
The HAWK meme coin launched in December 2024 on the back of Welch’s viral fame. However, just hours after listing, the token lost 90% of its value. Investors lost millions. According to analytics firm Bubblemaps, insider wallets had purchased large amounts of tokens in advance and quickly sold them off, profiting from the hype.
Welch admitted that she didn’t understand crypto and relied on third parties whose names she cannot disclose for legal reasons. She said someone else was managing her X (formerly Twitter) account and posting videos featuring her. All the scripts for the videos were sent to her in advance, and she simply followed directions.
On the day of the token launch, Welch recalls, “something felt off.” She was allegedly pulled into a room and told to urgently go live with YouTuber Stephen Findeisen, better known as Coffeezilla — a content creator known for exposing crypto scams.
“No one told me who he was. Then they all started yelling. And he just destroyed me,” she recounted on the podcast.
No Profit, No Tokens
Welch emphasizes that she only earned a marketing fee from HAWK. All other proceeds, she claims, went to legal and PR expenses. She never sold or profited from the token in any way.
Although she was not officially charged with anything, Welch admits she feels guilty toward her followers.
“I’m really ashamed that people believed in me and I dragged them into something I didn’t even understand. I knew I wasn’t into crypto, but they convinced me. I trusted the wrong people,” she said.
Meanwhile, investors who bought HAWK have filed a lawsuit against the alleged organizers: Alex Schultz, the Tuah the Moon Foundation, the platform overHere Limited, and its founder Clinton So. The suit alleges that HAWK was an unregistered security. Welch is not named as a defendant.
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