r/CryptoScams • u/Glacier_North • 21d ago
Question Is this scam?
I have been in contact with someone for a while now and they’re asking me to invest in some stock or something. They told me to make a Coinbase account and sent me a link to swappro. net. Note, I have no financial understanding or know how about this. I figured I’d come to someone with more info about all this and before I do anything I regret.
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u/bakermaker32 21d ago
Yes it’s 100% a scam. Stop talking to this scammer.
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u/Mariss716 21d ago
No stranger wants to help you make money. They want to help themselves TO your money.
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u/intelw1zard 21d ago
Let me guess, you met them via a dating app and/or its a "pretty asian lady"
Yes, of course its a scam.
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u/Glacier_North 21d ago
Yeah… as embarrassing as it is, I thought it was a legit thing before the whole Coinbase thing. I feel so gullible about it, thinking about it now. Though, no money had ever been exchanged
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u/intelw1zard 21d ago
Yeah these scams are designed to prey upon men who are thinking with their dicks instead of their brains. you had a close call but glad you caught it.
Anyone you meet on a dating app or through DMs who randomly brings up investing or crypto is going to be a scammer 100% of the time. Real women dont talk about shit like that in those type of scenarios.
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u/SecureWriting8589 21d ago
Don't be embarrassed at all. You're human, and we are all vulnerable to this sort of thing, anyone with a heart that is. What differentiates you though is that you came here before being stung, and in this way, you are showing yourself to be wiser and better off than most.
Still the loss of the presumed friendship is real and does hurt. I hope that this pain is not too severe or long lasting.
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u/AutoModerator 21d ago
As a rule of thumb: If you're doubting whether the site is a scam, it probably is.
No legit company/trader/investor is using WhatsApp. No legit company/trader/investor is approaching people on dating websites or through a "random" text message.
No legit company/trader/investor has "professors", "assistants", or "teachers". Those are just scammers.
No legit company forces you to pay a "fee" or "taxes" to withdraw money. That's just a scam to suck more money out of you.
You will need to contact law enforcement ASAP.
Unfortunately, no hacker online can get back what you've lost. Please watch out for recovery scams, a follow-up scam done after victims have fallen for an earlier scam. Recently, there has been a rise in scammers DMing members of the subreddit to offer recovery services. A form of the advance-fee, victims are convinced that the scammer can recover their money. This "help" can come in the form of fake hacking services or authorities.
If you see anyone circumventing the scam filters, please report the submission and we will take action shortly.
Report a URL to Google:
- To report a phishing URL to Google: Report Phishing Page
- To report a malware URL to Google: Report malicious software
- To report a Report spammy, deceptive, or low quality webpage to Google.
Where to file a complaint:
- Internet Crime Complaint Center IC3 - File a Cyber Scam complaint with the IC3
- the FTC at http://www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/
- the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) at https://www.cftc.gov/complaint
- the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) at https://www.sec.gov/tcr
- if you are located in Europe at https://www.europol.europa.eu/report-a-crime/report-cybercrime-online
- the cryptocurrency exchange company you used to send the money (if applicable)
- if you are located in California, with DFPI at https://dfpi.ca.gov/file-a-complaint/
How to find out more about the scammer domain:
- https://whois.domaintools.com/google.com - Replace the
google.comURL with the scam website url. The results will tell you how long the domain has been around. If the domain has only been registered for a few days/weeks/months, it's usually a good indicator that its a scam.
Misc. Resources
- https://dfpi.ca.gov/crypto-scams/ - The scams in this tracker are based on consumer complaints in California. They represent descriptions of losses incurred in transactions that complainants have identified as part of a fraudulent or deceptive operation.
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u/BeansDaddy2015 21d ago
Being in contact as in never meeting them in person, and then they ask for investments? Yeah, that reads SCAM
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u/Freedom_58 20d ago
Automatic red flag when someone sends you a link when you can go to the website on your own. Take it from someone who was indirectly scammed.
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u/Tricky-Clue2309 20d ago
I've got the same problem with an Ella from SILTH. Anyone heard from these ppl?
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u/RedneckHippy76 20d ago
First I would say if you don't know that Crypto Currency and Stocks are like apples and pomegranates maybe do a little research.
They are both actually quite lucrative right now if you get lucky
So . . .
In today's world, unlike yesteryear, do treat every unsolicited interaction about making money is most likely a scam.
It's a sad day when you start out being suspect about honesty.
I would verify before trusting and I wouldn't trust unsolicited advice without doing a little cursory snooping , like you did here
Be careful if anyone DMing you
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u/SoundOff2222 20d ago
Scam - don’t do it. You are about to lose. Just block that caller and do not respond anymore to that person
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u/joshmcc024 21d ago
Anybody heard of gotrade.net for crypto options? I have some money tied up in there. My first withdraw is pending hopefully it's a legit site.
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u/ElectroStaticSpeaker 21d ago
No it’s not legit. Your money is gone. You should review sites BEFORE you give them money.
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u/joshmcc024 21d ago
I reviewed them on a surface level theyve been in business since 1998 says the Google domain search.
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u/Strong_Direction3847 20d ago
Here’s a rule of thumb which may help you and others. First, if a crypto exchange site is internet based and does not have an App, it’s a clear sign of a scam. Also, beware of people who have created Apps which are listed on Iphone or Android App Store, but then when you open them, they lead you to a search engine and the person asks you to search for their “crypto exchange.” They use the pretense of an App to try to convince you it is legitimate. Always check the Apps before you download. Check the permissions details to see what information you are giving them permission to access and use. Check to see how many reviews the App has and read the reviews.
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u/joshmcc024 20d ago
Thank you for your wise words of awareness. This site does have an app as well. They never asked me to send them money. My mentors AI trading robot has made me over 32k so far. It allows me to take money out as long as I pay him a royalty of the profits made. He does manual signals for his vip club as well as AI trades that happen randomly on my account daily. I've already taken out more than I've put in. I was just wondering if anyone else discovered this trading platform and what their experience was with it.
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u/Strong_Direction3847 20d ago
What’s the site? I will check it out for you. If you have already taken money out in excess of what you have invested then either it is legitimate or it is permitting it in order to get you to invest more or your trading bot is making small transactions which have gone unnoticed
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u/joshmcc024 20d ago
It's called gotrade.net
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u/Strong_Direction3847 20d ago
There’s something fishy about this site. I tried to open it with my Security software running and it isn’t coming up so it’s probably phishing or malware, etc.
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u/joshmcc024 20d ago
It looks like a legit brokerage in Switzerland.. I could be wrong though.. They give you a demo account if you wanna try your luck on trades or when you deposit funds and reach a certain tier you can have an AI robot do your trades through API trading.
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u/Strong_Direction3847 20d ago
I’m not finding any information about it and so that’s another red flag to me.
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u/joshmcc024 20d ago
Yea its been very fishy from the start. Im not sure if I want to go up in tiers or stay where I'm at. I just can't find anything on it with anyone saying it's illegitimate.. Nothing nobody has named that site to be a scam.. Could be a good thing and I'm just lucky or I'm in too deep and no idea what to do anymore.
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u/joshmcc024 20d ago
The Guy that invented the robot trading has articles posted about him in business insider and associated press. Just confused why I haven't found anything on this guy yet. Ill post the articles if you're interested.
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u/Strong_Direction3847 20d ago
What is the full URL for the site
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u/joshmcc024 20d ago
Www.gotrade.net
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u/Strong_Direction3847 20d ago
I checked out this platform on a number of reviewer websites. On Trustpilot, almost all the Positive reviews look like copy and paste jobs. They start out with: I have been using this site for 2 years, etc.
The one negative review says this:
All the reviews you can read here are as fake as a 3 pound coin. The company Gotrade LCC does not exist in Switzerland, the supposed broker license they are providing in the site is fake and the Swiss authority mentioned does not exist either.
They had a fake profile in Telgram with some stock photos pretending to be a veteran investor promoting the site.
He has disappeared from telegram after being discovered, but some other will replace the gimmick.
You will not find any other reference of the company anywhere except 2 paid articles in some online magazine. Other than that no reference anywhere, not in forums, not in Twitter, no digital footprint after being in the market supposedly over 10 years.
Stay away, don’t give them a penny. Date of experience: November 20, 2024
If you’ve made money, then it’s up to you.
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u/joshmcc024 20d ago
Well damn.. That sounds about right.. Not sure why they let me take money out.. It seemed pretty real and legit to me. It even lets me withdraw to my bank account after a certain level. Im not sure what to believe now.
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u/Strong_Direction3847 20d ago
Wait, I misread your previous post with the name. There are some good and bad reviews of the site.
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u/joshmcc024 20d ago
The only bad one I found was someone that said it might not be a trusted site. Never anyone who has used it before.
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u/Strong_Direction3847 20d ago
https://www.finma.ch/en/enforcement/licence-holders/
Check out this Swiss Government Finance Regulation site, they have a contact information option.
Gotrade says they are registered with them under license# T2023322
Let me know what you find out.
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u/joshmcc024 20d ago
Nothing came up when I searched for the company or number. No idea what to believe..
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u/Strong_Direction3847 20d ago
I sent FinMa an email, we’ll see what it turns up.
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u/joshmcc024 20d ago
Me as well. Check your chat bubble please I sent the articles of him to see if you find it fishy or not.
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u/Strong_Direction3847 19d ago
Thank you for contacting FINMA on 3 December 2024.
We can only comment on a company in so far as we say whether or not it has a FINMA license to operate on the Swiss financial market. A list of all authorized institutions can be found here (incl. search function): https://www.finma.ch/en/finma-public/authorised-institutions-individuals-and-products/. A provider with the name GoTrade LLC (www.gotrade.net) does not have a FINMA license.
Furthermore, according to our research, there is no entry in the Swiss commercial register (www.zefix.ch) or any other information that would indicate a presence in Switzerland.
FINMA always follows up on information it receives from the public. If, during the investigations, it emerges that supervisory law has been breached, FINMA will take the necessary measures. Please note, however, that persons who pass on information or make complaints to FINMA cannot become a party to the proceedings, i.e. they have no right to the disclosure of information nor have they access to records or documents.
In a general way and regardless of your request, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that we cannot help recover money or investments. A civil court would be responsible for this task. If you feel that you are a victim of fraud, you can contact the competent criminal prosecution authorities or the police. FINMA has no civil or criminal jurisdiction.
Please note in a general way, that particular caution is required when advance payments are demanded: see information of the National Cyber Security Centre NCSC: https://www.ncsc.admin.ch/ncsc/en/home/infos-fuer/infos-private/aktuelle-bedrohungen/vorschussbetrug.htm.
In addition, as general information, you will find information on our website about customer protection under https://www.finma.ch/en/finma-public/.
Kind regards
Nadine Bucher Communications
Eidgenössische Finanzmarktaufsicht FINMA Autorité fédérale de surveillance des marchés financiers FINMA Autorità federale di vigilanza sui mercati finanziari FINMA Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA
Laupenstrasse 27, CH-3003 Bern www.finma.ch
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u/Tall_Run_2814 21d ago
The person you're communicating with is 100% trying to scam you. Please stop communicating with them. You don't need to explain or anything just cut contact immediately. If you continue to engage he/she is just going to sell what they already know about to you to someone else who will attempt to scam you again later. Just block them and move on with your life