Anyone trading or using a lot of Crypto is very likely going to fall for some scam at some point. It might be an offer too good to pass up that should have been passed up or it could be a simple fake link that sends your money to a scam crypto wallet.
However the scam got your money, most of us have the same basic quick reactions:
- How Can I Get My Money Back
- How Do I stop The Scammer
- How Do I Warn Others
While this post is not going to go into any detail about how to approach those three questions, you can see tips and other advice by looking here or subscribing to our email list.
You Have Been Scammed
You fell victim to a fake link that was made to look like a site you trust. You connected your wallet to the scam crypto address bc1q6dv5fgj20mq3xhdshtd83jkwet2pzerjhx3sln and transferred crypto.
After the funds are sent, you never receive your product or service you were expecting.
If you have read this post about checking wallet addresses, you decide to report the scam wallet address on BitCoin Abuse. Great! You have done a good service to help blacklist that crypto address.
However, you must make sure you don’t fall victim to the second scam. Once you run a report on Bitcoin Abuse, you see the results for the scam address above:
Notice what scammers have done in this public database. They have identified popular scam wallets, file a report, and in the description they put something like this:
I just recovered all my stolen bitcoins a total of 2.7 BTC free of charge through the help of Mrs. Lucia Hills… Are you a bitcoin scam victim? Did you lost your money to bitcoin scammers online? .. To recover all your lost money kindly contact Mrs Lucia Hills through her Email on [email protected] or text her on her number +17722284411 and via WhatsApp +1 (408) 676‑9108. She’s really wonderful and legit
RED FLAGS
Notice the spelling error? Even if this was 100% grammatically correct, there are tons of other red flags.
The email is a non-corporate email [email protected] (free for anyone to make a gmail account)
The number is some strange international number +17722284411
The use of WhatsApp.
No legitimate service is going to have any of these traits. Furthermore, there are not really any legitimate services that can help you get your money back. At the moment the best you can do is to report the wallet address and scam to sites like bitcoinabuse and then file reports to local or governmental crime agencies like the ones found in this list.
The scammer is hoping that your emotional state is damaged enough that you will ignore the red flags and reach out. The scammer will probably tell you how they will get your money back, charge some fee, and will never get your money back and disappear.
Don’t be a victim twice, report the crime and hope that maybe some agency will shut the scammer down. The scam above can happen on Facebook, Twitter, or any other platform where someone can see that you have been a victim.
Good Luck and Stay Safe!
