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Unauthorized Anthropic stock sales and investment scams

Updated yesterday

We are sharing important information about investments in Anthropic to help protect individuals from potentially invalid transfers or investment fraud.

Transfer restrictions

Both our preferred stock and common stock are subject to transfer restrictions contained in our bylaws. Any sale or transfer of Anthropic stock, or any interest in Anthropic stock, that has not been approved by our Board of Directors is void and will not be recognized on our books and records. This means that if someone purports to sell Anthropic shares without proper board approval, that transaction is invalid. The purported buyer would not be recognized as a stockholder of Anthropic and you would have no stockholder rights.

SPVs and retail investment funds

We do not permit special purpose vehicles (SPVs) to acquire Anthropic stock and any transfer of shares to an SPV are void under our transfer restrictions. Offers to invest in Anthropic’s past or future financing rounds through an SPV are prohibited.

We are also aware of investment funds that claim to offer indirect access to Anthropic stock. These funds often market themselves by saying something like: "You can't invest in Anthropic directly, but invest with us and we'll get access for you." These funds are most likely relying on mechanisms that attempt to circumvent our transfer restrictions. Any third party claiming to sell Anthropic shares to the general public—whether through direct sales, "forward contracts," tokenized securities, or other mechanisms—is likely either engaged in fraud or offering an investment that may have no value due to our transfer restrictions.

Invest at your own risk: if someone offers you a way to participate, even on an indirect basis, in an investment in Anthropic, assume that it is invalid.

Be especially cautious if someone:

  • Contacts you unsolicited via email, social media, or messaging apps offering Anthropic shares.

  • Claims to have "exclusive" or "limited-time" access to Anthropic stock.

  • Requests payment via cryptocurrency, wire transfer, or other hard-to-trace methods.

  • Pressures you to invest quickly.

  • Claims to have structured a transaction to avoid company restrictions.

  • Cannot provide documentation of board approval for the transfer.

Beware of stock scams

Scammers regularly attempt to carry out fraudulent investment schemes falsely claiming to provide access to prominent private technology companies and in some cases may even issue fake stock certificates evidencing your purported investment. Anthropic does not issue stock certificates to the general public and anyone providing you with stock certificates is very likely engaged in fraud. We encourage anyone who receives this type of outreach to exercise extreme caution.

Report concerns

Before investing in any opportunity claiming to offer Anthropic stock, we strongly encourage individuals to verify the legitimacy of the offering through official regulatory databases and to seek independent legal and financial advice.

If you have concerns about someone claiming to sell Anthropic stock or marketing access to Anthropic equity, please email [email protected].

If you believe you have been targeted by a stock scam:

  • Consider contacting your local law enforcement or securities regulator

  • In the United States, you can report suspected fraud to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or review investor alerts on Investor.gov.

  • Consult with a qualified financial advisor or attorney before making any investment decision.


This article is intended to provide general information about Anthropic's stock transfer restrictions and to warn about potential investment scams. It does not constitute legal or financial advice.

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