CrofAI "cheapest inference provider in the world" gets exposed as an OpenRouter wrapper, routing requests to smaller, cheaper models at up to 20x markup. CrofAI responds to Wire Fraud allegations by denying everything, then backtracking, then 3 hours later wiping their entire online presence

CrofAI, which advertised itself as the "cheapest inference provider in the world," has been exposed as an OpenRouter wrapper. It allegedly routed user requests to smaller, cheaper models like GLM 5.2, Qwen 3.5 9B, and Kimi K2.7 Code, applying markups of up to 20x. CrofAI initially denied wire fraud allegations but later admitted its "greg family" models were not its own. Following the exposure, CrofAI wiped its entire online presence, leading to advice for users to seek full refunds via chargebacks and rotate API keys.

Unlike typical service disruptions, CrofAI's response to fraud allegations escalated from denial to a complete online wipe within hours, marking a rare, rapid corporate disappearance.