Wealth BAX Finance
A resident of California has reported an unsettling experience after receiving a text from an unfamiliar individual named “Sandy.” Their interaction progressed to WhatsApp, where Sandy introduced the victim to a purported crypto trading platform called Wealth Bax. Following Sandy’s advice, the victim created an account and transferred funds to the website, entering personal details and a driver’s license photo as part of the registration process. After depositing crypto assets, the victim engaged in trading, during which Sandy urged them to provide additional funds for family support, assuring the victim that this would lead to increased returns in their account. At one stage, the victim’s investment appeared to balloon to $281,992. However, upon attempting to withdraw funds, the site demanded over $40,000 in IRS taxes. Sandy advised the victim to comply, claiming she had done the same to access her money. Ultimately, the victim was unable to retrieve any funds, and the website is now defunct.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
TPKcoin
A California resident reported joining a Telegram group to learn about crypto trading from an individual named Mason, who claimed to be affiliated with a reputable financial firm. Following group instructions, the victim set up an account with the TPKcoin platform and began trading. Participating in a “big data trading” program, the victim received trading signals for five days but was later informed by the platform that they owed $29,000 in commissions. Attempts to withdraw funds were met with demands for an upfront payment of $48,000 in taxes. An assistant suggested using a cold wallet for smaller transactions to evade taxes, but after expressing the need for further advice, the victim found themselves blocked from the platform and inaccessible to their account. The website is no longer operational, and the victim lost $4,200.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Signal Selling Scam
SILD Group
In another incident, a California resident came across an online investment group led by a professor named Robert, who promised significant returns of 20% to 30%. The victim was guided by Robert’s assistant, Angelina, on how to open an account on the SILD platform and make initial trades. After investing, Robert launched a more exclusive trading group requiring a minimum investment of $50,000, which the victim was unable to meet. Angelina later reached out, claiming the victim’s investment had tripled in two weeks. The victim, with $50,000 in the bank, was told to invest $100,000 instead, with Angelina offering to match the amount. After liquidating a certificate of deposit, the victim sent $75,000 directly to Angelina’s crypto wallet, only to find the website had become inactive and their funds unrecoverable.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Investment Group Scam
BitMex Impersonation
A California resident reported being approached through Instagram by someone who initiated a romantic relationship and eventually introduced the topic of crypto investments. The scammer helped the victim set up an account on a fraudulent exchange, promising significant returns. When the victim sought to withdraw funds, they were faced with a demand for a “tax profit” fee exceeding $30,000. After failing to pay, the scammer ceased all communication, leaving the victim unable to recover their assets.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Imposter Scam
Pig Butchering Scam
Webelon
A California resident reported being lured by a YouTube livestream featuring someone impersonating Elon Musk, who claimed to be giving away $100 million in crypto. To participate, viewers were instructed to send crypto to the website webelon.org. Despite the promise of a giveaway, the victims who complied found their funds lost, and the site is now defunct. This scam utilized Tesla’s branding in its promotional efforts, misleading participants into believing it was legitimate.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Imposter Scam
Crypto Giveaway/Airdrop Scam
Capiturly
The victim was persuaded by someone named “Sharon,” claiming to be a stockbroker, to transfer Bitcoin to the platform capiturly.io for trading purposes. After the transfer, the victim found themselves locked out of their account, unable to retrieve any funds, while the website is no longer operational.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Ceypro Investments
A California resident reported being contacted by an individual named “Ashley” on Instagram, who posed as an experienced crypto investor. After following Ashley’s guidance, the victim began investing with Ceypro Investments, only to discover that they could not withdraw funds without sending additional money. The total loss reported was $100,000.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
SAXO Group
Two residents in California shared troubling experiences with the fraudulent trading platform, “SAXO Group.” One victim, who was introduced by a friend on Facebook Messenger, followed instructions to open an account and invest. After believing they were earning profits, attempts to withdraw funds were met with demands for over $65,000 in taxes. The second victim, contacted by “Lee,” was similarly led to believe in a lucrative investment opportunity, only to discover they needed to pay more than $500,000 in taxes to access their funds.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Imposter Scam
Pig Butchering Scam
CFX Lifestyle
A California resident reported being invited to invest in cryptocurrency through CFX Lifestyle, where the minimum investment was set at $5,000. Initially promised profits after three months, the victim later learned the company claimed to face IRS issues, resulting in a complete loss of their investment.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
YFI App
A resident reported being solicited via Facebook by an employee of YFI App, who promised daily earnings on their crypto wallet. Following the instructions, the victim transferred funds to a specified wallet address. However, the scammers drained the account after the balance was high, and the victim was unable to recover any funds.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Bybukx
A California consumer reported using the platform at bybukx.com to trade Ethereum (ETH) for Tether (USDT). However, when the victim attempted to withdraw the USDT, they were informed that additional deposits were required to withdraw their funds, totaling more than $50,000. The website has since become non-operational.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
0x Layer
A California resident reported being approached by “Erika,” who introduced them to a trading platform where they engaged in Bitcoin smart contracts. Initially believing they had made $300,000 in profits, the victim was later told they needed to pay “verification fees” before being allowed to withdraw funds, leading to a complete loss of their investment.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
MultiversX Exchange
A resident reported being contacted through Instagram by “Chen,” who encouraged them to invest in crypto assets. After several rounds of trading under Chen’s guidance, the victim believed their account had grown significantly. However, upon attempting to withdraw their balance, they were informed of a mandatory service fee, leading to a loss of around $55,000.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Coins NS
A California resident reported joining a WhatsApp group for Bitcoin trading, where an “investment teacher” named “Kaia” provided instructions. After multiple trades, the victim was unable to withdraw funds, and the websites associated with the platform are no longer operational.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Investment Group Scam
XAI Coin Presale
A California resident reported being approached on Telegram by an individual impersonating a well-known influencer offering an investment opportunity in a presale of the “xAI88X” coin. Following instructions, the victim sent funds to the specified wallet address but lost their investment as the website has become non-operational.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Opacoin
A California resident reported being introduced to a crypto trading platform through a WhatsApp group. After investing funds, the victim could not withdraw any money, and the fraudulent platform’s website has since become inactive.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Imposter Scam
Pig Butchering Scam
Seikum
A California resident reported being contacted by a person named “Leonid,” who presented an investment opportunity with a company called Seikum. After investing funds, the victim was told their account was frozen, and they needed to pay additional fees to regain access. Total losses amounted to $3,000.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Fucoins Global
A Californian reported encountering a WhatsApp group that shared investment advice from a guru named Mr. Oliver. After following instructions to create an account on fucoins.com and engaging in trading, the victim was unable to withdraw funds, leading to a significant loss.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Signal Selling Scam
Investment Group Scam
Piwbit
A Californian reported trading on a platform where their account balance grew significantly. However, upon attempting to withdraw, the platform demanded high fees, leading to a total loss of approximately $480,000.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Incapital Limited
A California resident reported encountering a fraudulent brokerage called Incapital Limited. After investing funds, the victim was pressured to deposit additional amounts to preserve their account balance, resulting in a loss of $35,000.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Bullish Dot
A Californian reported losing $10,000 worth of cryptocurrency on the trading platform Bullish Dot. The website is no longer operational.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
NRG
A California resident reported being introduced to a crypto exchange called NRG and was persuaded to provide personal information. After making small trades, the victim lost access to their account and the website is no longer operational.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Investment Group Scam
Paxos Pro
A California resident reported creating an account on a platform hosted at paxos-pro.top. After trading, they were unable to withdraw funds, leading to a total loss.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Birbayap
A California resident reported being contacted by an individual claiming to be an acquaintance. After developing a romantic connection, the victim was persuaded to send cryptocurrency to a provided wallet. Upon attempting to withdraw funds, the victim was informed of unexpected taxes, leading to a total loss.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Romance Scam
Prolongers
A California victim reported encountering a scam after being approached through TikTok. After investing in a crypto wallet, the victim was unable to withdraw funds, leading to significant losses.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Brave Crypto Wallet
A fraudulent company impersonated Brave Software, offering cryptocurrency investment opportunities. Victims reported significant losses after transferring cryptocurrencies to the scam’s wallet addresses, and the website is no longer operational.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Imposter Scam
Pig Butchering Scam
Capital Handels System
A California resident reported being contacted through an online dating site and eventually lost over $10,000 after being misled by a supposed investment opportunity.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Romance Scam
ICE Crypto Trading App
A California resident reported being introduced to a crypto trading app and eventually lost access to their funds after being instructed to pay various fees.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
ABS Trading
A California resident reported being persuaded to invest through a WhatsApp group and ultimately lost access to their funds after failing to comply with the platform’s demands.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Investment Group Scam
Top Kex
A Californian reported using a crypto exchange platform, only to later discover their account was frozen after being accused of suspicious activity. The victim has not been able to recover any of their funds.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
GCC Money
A California resident reported depositing over $50,000 into a platform, believing it to be a legitimate trading site. However, they found themselves unable to withdraw their funds, with the site now inactive.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Vbitex
A California resident reported being introduced to a trading platform, where they believed they accumulated significant profits. However, upon attempting to withdraw funds, they faced demands for high fees. The website is no longer operational.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Trust Pip
A Californian reported losing money on a trading platform after being misled by a supposed influencer. The victim was unable to recover their funds after paying various fees.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Imposter Scam
Accord Crypto
A California resident reported being misled into investing through a supposed crypto mining website, leading to significant losses.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Graph Web
A California resident reported being lured into a cryptocurrency mining scheme, which led to a complete loss of their investment.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Liquidity Mining Scam
Pig Butchering Scam
Dydxcc
A California resident reported being introduced to a trading platform and eventually lost their funds after being pressured to pay high fees.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Bybit
A Californian reported being introduced to a trading platform, where they ultimately lost significant funds after falling victim to a scam.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Coinbase
A California resident reported losing access to their funds after being lured into a scam involving a fraudulent trading platform.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Bitpodo
A California resident reported being misled into investing with a fraudulent trading platform, ultimately leading to significant losses.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
TrustFX
A California resident reported being scammed by a fraudulent trading platform after being misled by an online acquaintance.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Cryptrade
A California resident reported falling victim to a scam operation after being lured into investing with a fraudulent trading platform.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Gccmoney.org
A California resident reported being misled into investing through a fraudulent trading platform, leading to significant losses.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
New Wave Exchange
A California resident reported being approached by a scammer who convinced them to invest in a fraudulent cryptocurrency trading platform.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Welcome to the Future
A California resident reported being lured into investing with a fraudulent trading platform, leading to significant losses.
Fraudulent Trading Platform
Pig Butchering Scam
Zenith Exchange
A California resident reported being misled into investing through a fraudulent trading platform, leading to a total loss of their investment.
