FBI Investigates Hawk Tuah Girl Over Failed Crypto Launch

Haliey Welch, widely recognized as the “Hawk tuah girl,” revealed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) briefly investigated her following the failed launch of a cryptocurrency token in her image, which she promoted.

In a May 21 episode of her “Talk Tuah” podcast, Welch recounted that the FBI visited her grandmother’s house to speak with her about the Hawk Tuah (HAWK) crypto token. Many crypto commentators have labeled the token as an exit scam. Welch described the encounter, saying, “After the coin launch, the feds came to granny’s house and knocked on her door, and she called me, having a heart attack, saying: ‘The FBI is here after you, what have you done?’” She handed over her phone to the FBI and met with agents who questioned her extensively about crypto. Ultimately, she was cleared of any wrongdoing.

Welch gained viral fame for her candid response about an oral sex technique in a vox pop interview posted to YouTube in June. The HAWK memecoin, inspired by her viral catchphrase, was launched in early December but quickly lost 90% of its value. Blockchain analytics firm Bubblemaps alleged that insider wallets and snipers bought up and dumped massive quantities of the token at launch.

Welch also mentioned that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requested her phone, which she sent off for a few days before being cleared. Her lawyer, James Sallah, stated that the SEC closed the investigation without making any findings against her or seeking any monetary sanctions.

Welch admitted to having limited knowledge about crypto before the HAWK memecoin launch and expressed that she “trusted the wrong people” for the project. She claimed that a company, which she could not name for legal reasons, had full control of her X account, posting videos of her promoting the memecoin. Welch said she was given lines to record on video, which were then posted on her X account by someone she trusted but could not legally name.

On the day of HAWK’s launch, Welch felt something was amiss and was pulled into a room where a team of people instructed her to talk on a livestream with YouTuber Stephen Findeisen, better known as Coffeezilla. Welch described the encounter, saying, “Coffeezilla got on there and they're like ‘Mute it, mute it,’” and added that nobody warned her about Coffeezilla’s expertise in crypto.

Welch clarified that she was only paid a marketing fee and did not make any money from the coin itself, which she said had been entirely spent on legal and public relations fees. Despite being cleared of any legal wrongdoing, Welch took responsibility for letting many of her fans down who invested in the coin. She acknowledged that she did not have enough knowledge about crypto to be involved with it and was talked into the project by the wrong people.

A group of HAWK buyers sued the alleged creators of the token in December, claiming that Alex Schultz, the token’s backing Tuah the Moon Foundation, the token launchpad overHere Limited, and its founder Clinton So promoted and sold HAWK as an unregistered security. Welch was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.