Scam Type

Investment Fraud, Impersonation Scam, Fake Bitcoin Trading Platform

Red Flag

  • Unsolicited crypto investment pitch.
  • Unverified trading platform.
  • Refusal to deduct “taxes” from profits.
  • Massive gains with no transparency.

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

Used direct messaging apps to lure victim in, faked mentorship, inflated account balances to build trust, then locked withdrawals behind a “tax” demand.

Potential Lost Funds

$58,130

Final Outcome

Victim was denied withdrawal unless an additional tax was paid upfront. No funds have been recovered. Emotional and financial toll extended to friends and family.