Bitcoin Forum

I have been dealing with an apparent nice guy on Insta. He initially posted ona mutual picture that if anyone responded to him in a particular way he would clear their debt for them. I agree, too good to believe.

For the hell of it, I decided to reply and he agreed to transfer the required funds to me via crypto. He and I have been in contact and I have transferred 2 amounts to him. Fortunately not overly high. I have received this latest communication from him and wanted to know if this was a genuine thing and I am ok to proceed or I should stop now, block his thieving and lying self and move on with my life.

“We are contacting you based on your pending  request of your total sum of $18000.
Your payment of $300 has been confirmed. We have to bring to your notice a policy that is of utmost priority should a withdrawal request be ensued.
The trading firm has sworn an oath with the United State Council to abide by the law of the government that every trusted investor will have to pay a tax fee of $900 which is 5% of the total withdrawal amount before the withdrawal process can be completed with your withdrawal code E09556 to pay the stipulated fee. Once the payment is done a slot will be available on where you can insert your wallet address on your platform. You have a maximum limit of seven(7) working days to make this payment.“

What are peoples thoughts here?  Genuine or genuine scam?

This type of scam has been around for years. Any service or any person asking you to deposit money to be able to make a withdrawal is surely a scammer and there is no exception.
Don't waste more money.

I don’t doubt that.

Addendum to original post: he has shown me an ETH view only wallet with the money in it that he has promised and that because it is coming as a trustee or something from a business wallet account to a personal one as the reason why these fees are needed.

Even as I write this I can see how ridiculous it sounds but just wanted ti get someone’s opinion here

Oh No!
Now my question is what kind of investment are you trying to make and what is platform you want to make the investment, let them share with you then you can post it here for us to take a clearer view of it to know whether you can actually insert your wallet as they said. Then lastly why are too greedy this will result you losing lot of funds if you intend to gain $18,000 you didn't work for or suffer for, keep it in mind is absolutely pure scam they wanna scam you, no trading platform required you to make deposit before you could make withdrawal first. Block sure person and stay away from them or him.

This all sounds like a scam. Why isn't the tax simply deducted from the payout amount? That would make sense, but if you have to transfer money yourself beforehand, it's a scam. I wouldn't put any money into it! You certainly don't get a payout, especially not if it's from an almost unknown person on the internet.  ::)

I am using the apple trust wallet for these transfers.

Yeah I thought it was too good to be true. I am cutting off contact now.

Not sure where the large loss of funds is beside the small transfers I have done.

Out of curiosity what does it take to make a view only wallet accessible to a third party?

Take note that anyone can easily create a watch-only wallet using others addresses and since a watch-only wallet doesn't have any private key, it's not possible to spend fund from that. This means that most probably the wallet they showed you didn't belong to them at all.

Slightly altered version of the message you received, more aligned with the reality of things:

Their line of though is more or less along this line. The same type of scam is commonly carried out with different pretexts, but all bear a common backbone of putting money/crypto dangling in front of your eyes, asking for some transfer beforehand to cover this or that.

the logic is why you have to send money if the money they are going to send is a large amount, it is not more real if the withdrawal money that you have to send is borne by the sender or you can cut the money you will withdraw for withdrawal fees.

don't respond to this, this is clearly a scam, and it often happens in my city and even I myself often get messages like this on my Whatsapp. there are many scammers nowadays who are masked as friendly and kind people. if you have sent money to him then just let it go!

You are lucky to ask here first before you make a foolish of yourself by sending your scammer your money and see him beating his chest to know how to scam in his circle of friends. If someone want to ask you to send money to access your withdraw money that is not proper or real, it is scam so you have to learn this. Anything looking too good, you have to suspect it and online business you need to understand you have no friend. Online is anonymous and don't trust.

What was the purpose of the 2 transfers you made to him and through what means did you do that?

Yes, you've been scammed already and the scammers are trying to see how much they can squeeze out of you before greed wears off and reality begins to set in.
First rule of being scammed;
"If you're asking whether or not something is a scan; 99.99% of the time, it is"

The question is why would that person require you to pay or send funds to his wallet?. Honestly, for many years in scamming people that those scanmers even find a way to scam people of their money either through a project like ICO which most of it are scam that's why it is no longer a trend for years. Most of the scam attempt is that you must pay/send money to a wallet address before you will get what you wanted and if it's not then they will explain their so called investment like you will earn x amount of BTC within 24 hours and to avail in that so called investment then you must deposit first. As you have said that you already sent funds to them then you should stop right now before you lose more of your money. It's likely a SCAM.

This is one of the oldest scam technique has been in practice in crypto as well as on the digital world, first the user will ask you to transfer a small sum, and he will repeat same excuses which may convince you at some point and if the streak grows for a while you will lose a huge sum, even some celebrities fall for this technique so don't beleive in things which looks too good to be true.

Good! This experience should help you avoid similar scams in the future. Do not let this happen again.
A side note: people who are trying to get money from you almost always seem nice at the start.


What are you referring to exactly? Blockchain is public and open to anyone. There's nothing stopping you from making a wallet that others can see, except for the fact that it's not your wallet (you can't spend funds from it) if you don't have the private key. For example, I can show you Binance's wallet (probably the largest cryptocurrency exchange), but that does not mean I have access to the billions of dollars worth of money there.

This is a real typical scam and you ought run dearly even without been told.
No firm will ever ask you to make any payments to receive any form of money or grant and this people will keep milking you to the last of your penny and you're also very fortunate to be here on time and you always have to be very conscious of people you meet online and you should also know that everyone is a suspect and we should always treat every matter regarding money as a very vital issues.


There is no major loss awaiting you outside the $300 you've lost already and if there is anyway you can avoid the use of that wallet totally at least it will be better and safer for you

Do you think anybody will give you free money just because you responded to the picture he posted, I think most people that are being scammed are the once that are looking for free money on the internet.
I'm sorry for your loss, I believe you have been scammed, it's just better you block the scammer to avoid further damages. As the scammer requested for the first payment and you paid, he will definitely give more excuses and request for more money, the more you keep sending the money, he will keep on increasing amount he will be requesting for and he will be giving excuses, so just block the scammer and accept your faith, I know how painful it is to be scammed, but this will serve as a lesson to you and everyone else reading this thread not to trust anybody you meet on social media, and you should know their is no free way to make money.

I haven't seen such a scam before, possibly due to regional differences, but I've had similar ones. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. No easy money can be made. However, from your way of writing, you're implying that you've transferred $300; did I understand correctly? If so, why? Always trust your instincts; if it sounded fishy, why would you send money and then proceed to ask questions here? I don't mean to offend you, but $300 is still a pretty decent sum to lose to a scammer. I'd be furious.

Anyway, in such cases, this forum and Reddit can be incredible sources to seek information.

In my opinion, this kind of tactic fraud is nothing new; it is widespread and has been used to defraud many people in the past. Therefore, you must exercise extreme caution when dealing with anyone you encounter online who brings up financial matters. The best course of action is to avoid messages from strangers, set realistic goals for how quickly you want to get rich, and limit your online wealth-seeking. Otherwise, you will continue to be falling under their hands, because other fresh tactics, which are constantly being developed. But I believe you learned from you lesson, so it will be difficult for to happen again once you are eager to rich easily online.

There will be no strangers suddenly contacting you asking for help to make a withdrawal. They are clearly scammers, no need to do detailed research, scammers will only target foreigners like you.
Scammers like this usually use phishing websites or websites that are designed to carry out scenarios like what you are experiencing. But if you have made a payment of $ 300 and are still being asked again for a 5% tax payment of around $ 900 then it is clearly a fraud. Tax will not be billed to the user and it is a large amount. were you not suspicious at the start when making the first payment? no withdrawals will be made, you will only be the target of a scam.

To be honest I enjoy a good debate / argument and I was curious as to what tactics he would try to “ensnare” me and persuade me to still do this. (Note: I have absolutely no intention of proceeding here).

I even gave him a way that would work for no loss on either side and he still wouldn’t take me up on it lol.

I have just lived the expression, “ Fool me one shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.”  

Thanks all on here for stopping me from making a stupid mistake :)

Am sorry you've just been scammed, this is the worst thing to ever do to someone you never know, they promise you money but first collected yours, what a pity you never has the experience of such been detestable to how scammers operates, infact this is one or their old means.


Are you still asking for what decision to take after you've been duped already? you must be a newbie indeed, block him and learn your lesson.

First I would say you have been scammed off your initial payment, I would be surprised if that is not the case and also did they provide any form where they swore to the United state council or what ever the scammers calls it?

First I see greed from you because you wanted to get the money they offered you fast (from your post the scammers made it an urgent contest) giving you less time to ask questions about the possibilities of it being a scam, they got you there and now are definitely trying to get you again.

This statement is meant to mount pressure on you, the kind of pressure that forces you to take action without calculating and analyzing the situation properly. It is a scam that is taking advantage of your need for money. If someone wants to assist you really to clear your debt, They would do so without demanding for any deposit from you. Someone that wants to help you will not stress you bottom-line.

The first rule:  don't trust anyone who contacts you through any social media, especially when it comes to money. This could be the start of scams and other scams!
The second rule: Never believe something too good to be true that can be gained or shown easily.
The next rules: Do more readings, learning, and research before doing something.

He could have used his scammed wallet to deceive victims including you. And it's possible to use someone's wallet and show it to you, moreover, it's view only. do not easily believe their various boasts. There is no such good person in cyberspace.

There’s your answer, if it sounds too good to be true there is a high chance that it’s is a scam. But that wouldn’t stop you now, would it? The kind of scam you’re sinking in is called advanced fee fraud. You have conveniently ignored all the red flags that show this guy isn’t genuine and is up to no good. There are hardly any good Samaritans on the internet, be skeptical of strangers who bring up conversations about money and investments. I hope you learn from this experience.

Please, I need to be clarified that the above statement indicates that you already sent $300 to the scammer?
If it is so that means you are so rich to throw away $300 .
I wonder which part of the world you are, maybe I will have to relocate to where you live. Do people cleared up debt for random persos online ? Debt as high as 18,000 dollars ?
Do people give people business that will earn them 18000 dollars without knowing them in person or having any mutual agreement?
Are we still in the generation where manners fell from above? From where is the $18000 coming from. Will Elon the richest man in the world just throw out $18000 to any random someone, have you heard of such ?
It is nice you clarified yourself here before you would have continued but if you actually sent out $300. I have you to be blamed because the scam strategy is cheap to be rewarded with $300

We shouldn't easily trust someone else because we are very vulnerable to scams, but I'm surprised he doesn't protect himself to protect himself from scams and it's so easy to transfer funds to strangers, I hope this case can be turned into a bitter experience without vigilance protecting yourself from crime and scam in the online world.

Incidents like this have often happened, there are even some people who have been warned to be careful of this scam case. But they do not believe and are more tempted by the promised profits or money. And finally? Instead, they lose their money because they have been scammed, get angry and blame the crypto. This is the cycle that goes on, people really want lots of money, but don't want to think too hard about the risk of scams and believe the promises more.

Here, I personally will immediately ignore anyone who tries to contact or tell me that I can get money fast with certain conditions. Especially if they ask us to send some money, then it's better to skip. There's no such kind person who will give us money quite easily, especially in this digital world where cyber crimes are numerous.

You have been scammed brother. They will entice you with huge some of money and encourage you to pay a very small sum to claim your payment. They would keep asking for more money and you would be motivated to pay so that you can recover what you have lost but you would never get your money back. My best advise is that you stop interacting with the person and bear the loss you have incurred.

Currently, there is no cheap or free money anywhere. You must work to earn you money. If you are seeking for easy funds, you would always be a victim of fraudsters. You would be amazed that the person that is promising to give you that huge some is living in abject poverty in one of the worst developing nation somewhere. Don't be moved by profits or cheap gains because it is a sign of greed.

if you just deposited a little, it means your luck. if you have experienced it, believe me, they will come to you in another mode. and I hope you can get valuable experience in dealing with scammers like that. trust me they marked you for another opportunity in the future. they will come to you again. Never trust anyone on social media that you don't know. especially if it is related to money.

first why would you even care to deal or have any transaction of person over the internet, even friends scam their friends, this has been an issue since 2017 or earlier, where someone out of nowhere were they would give money for the first 10 or 100 person, if you would imagine, is a person who you did not even know or meet, would give a money to a person? that's absolutely a no right?
My suggestion to OP is this:

• Cut Any Communication to that person
• Forget the money you have given , just imagine its charity and move on
• Never again entertain a person over the internet whom you did not know
• Try to read news of people who gets scam so that you have knowledge regarding this

There are lots of going on over the internet, never transact its 100% scam, block them immediately no questions ask.

It’s very interesting to me: are there people among those present here who have ever received any amount from strangers just like that? It's quite simple like that. The stranger asked for some small service and, in return, promised a large profit. For some reason, even with such numerous answers, it seems to me that free money is not available to anyone. Or rather, money always has a price, but the one who expects to get it very easily pays for it out of his own pocket and gets a very unpleasant experience.
So why do people go for it? OP, what's wrong with you? Were you at the time of the transfer of money in some kind of disorder, drunk, on drugs, or under hypnosis? Where was your mind at that moment?

Wow!  This is of the oldest type of scams and it's unfortunate you fell for it, if you really did.  If you did, better cut your losses before they get deeper or if you are really gully, you might be able to scam the scammer to get yours back.

We can easily use other wallets and see inside and then make use of it to show to others, to the person that they wanted to scam to think that they have money. But above all, it was a lie, and perhaps, it was a common tactic that usually these scammers do. And the moment that they will get your trust and almost succeed in their plan, they start to make some drama that sometimes they gain sympathy from you but not knowing it was another tactic to divert your attention.
- It was been so many times that every member here is suggesting not to trust people online especially when it talks about money.

It can be crazy how gullible people can be, and part of the issue is that several folks engage with obvious scams because they have a kind of belief that they are capable of outsmarting the scammer (so they engage); however, they are so much driven by the "possibility" that it could be true.  Really what are the odds that something like this could be true?  It's likely not even 1%, but instead perhaps 1/10k.. however, the gullible person places higher odds.. that it could be true.. maybe they know it is not very likely but they place odds of 20% or 30% or some other outrageously high amount.. maybe it is true?  Or maybe they start to convince themselves that it could be 50/50.. I don't think that it is true, but it could be.  So they get trapped into a small amount.. such as $300.. and then they start to get motivated to get their $300 back.. and the whole thing seems ridiculous to any of us who have either thought through the scenario or seen others who have been tricked by such scenarios. 

I will concede that it is not necessarily obvious that the situation is a scam, because the scammers play on the fact that people are usually honest.  When you meet people on the street and they give you some kind of advice or tell you about some thing that is going on in the world, the vast majority of times, they are not lying to you.. so then when we meet "nice people" on the interwebs, we start to consider that they are like people whom we have met in the real world.. generally nice people.. blah blah blah..

And really, it is eye rolling because sometimes relatively smart people can be tricked into believing the stories that they are told, and then perhaps a bit of their desperation and/or greed and/or willingness to gamble kicks in.. .. anyhow, it is crazy. but at the same time, we do see people who are trapped into these kinds of situations, and even with OP, any of us can see in the way that he frames the matter, he wants to be scammed.. He wants to believe.. that's part of the reason that he wrote the OP in the first place.. I mean if we can take him at his word that this really happened to him, and I don't really have any reason to believe that he made it up.. it sounds like something that people do.. especially if they have not been presented with similar scenarios.. whether the Nigerian Prince situation or some other variation of that kind of story to suck in the gullible to send money or to make a small deposit and it goes on and escalates more and more and more, and sometimes people loose hundreds of thousands of dollars because they are trying to get back their investment, so even if they might get some payoffs from time to time, the scammer keeps increasing the amount required and sometimes might send somethings back or even some things that appear to be valuable.. oh and another thing is that they might give the contact information of the gullible one to their friend.. so that such gullible one can be scammed by others too.. .


Yeah some of the gullible people do think that they can scam the scammer.. but most of the time, they cannot... hahahaha a kind of false sense of competence... You notice OP said that he was just trying to see what the scammer was going to say, and that he really did not believe the scammer, but at the same time he got scammed already and seems like a very good target to continue to be scammed because he wants to believe and he is either greedy or desperate... thinks that he can get freebies.. or that maybe he might get lucky..

right.  ::) ::) ::) ::)

Have been classic scam method used by many people for making some one interested, I got every time with this kinds offering they have about 0.4 btc in their fund website, all data for accessing given by Scammer and make us interested after checking there are has fund about 0,4 BTC, but for possibility withdrawing need to make deposit 0.1 BTC based on their promise. I don't care with this way because this method use by scammed after you make deposit the website have been closed and you loss your money.

I think OP have being scammed and using cryptocurrency deposit can't get back your fund, but if you used PayPal for transaction or sending assets you can make dispute and possibility your money refund later before 180 days from first day sending.

As a person like me who had been victim of scams yes I think this is scam attempt.  If a person from social media like Instagram can make you a promise to clear your debt that is a immediate red flag and you need to stop right there.

There are businesses that have to have licenses and insurance to be able to do what this man is promising you to do.  The part he says maximum limit of seven(7) working days to make this payment is a good sign of a scam attempt. Do not do business with this man.

Same facing this kind of scam ...

Most time in every year scammer have a new pattern

Yes, because I wanted a fast money.