cryptocurrencybtx.com, cryptocurrencybitcore.com

Scam Type

Crypto Investment Scam.

Red Flag

  • Large upfront tax demand to unlock withdrawals.
  • Sudden accusations of illegal activity like money laundering.
  • High “risk hedge” payment tied to inflated account balance with a two-day deadline.

Details

The victim joined a trading blog on social media, where he met two individuals—“Mr. Charlie” and “Tina”—claiming to represent Fitbela Epro Limited, a UK-based Forex trading firm. They persuaded him to open a Forex trading account on the Meta 5 Trading platform and promised high returns. The victim initially invested $10,000 and was told the account had grown significantly, prompting him to invest even more. Following their direction, he eventually sent a total of $92,000 via wire transfer. Later, they claimed his account was now worth $200,000. When the victim attempted to withdraw his funds, he was told he needed to pay $87,000 in taxes before any money could be released. At that point, he recognized it as a scam.

Scammer Behaviour

The scammers showed fake profits to create trust, allowed small withdrawals to bait further investment, and then introduced high-pressure barriers like tax payments and accusations of illegal activity. They demanded sensitive identity documents and used regulatory language to pressure the victim into paying increasingly large fees under short deadlines.

Potential Lost Funds

$129,000

Final Outcome

The victim realized it was a scam after being asked for a $62,000 “risk hedge” payment and did not proceed further. The funds already sent were lost.