SOPHISTICATED SCAM - bitstash - Fake press review, team, False French location

[Hellmouth42]

Today, an unusual scam that required some resources

BITStash

Bounty: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=4692347
Ann (11 May): https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=3735106.0
Website: https://bitstash.co/

Edit: archives:
http://archive.is/URMJl
http://archive.is/8qnSm
http://archive.is/m1D14
http://archive.is/hcSPT

Not really team (just the CEO, Neil Michael) (maybe this guys...after all, why not ? https://secure.mingle2.com/user/view/25501153)

The WP, very light not much interesting, nothing really convincing.

The website is sophisticated. A little strange, a mix of very classic e-commerce and "anonymous" atmosphere to make cool...

Let's focus on the impressive press review




Articles in these big media, it looks serious!


First problem:

- The articles are all the same

Second problem:

- the sites on which we find articles about the BitStash project are....absolutely false.










It's only 2 sample, the others are similar


A compatriot

Imagine my happiness! In the articles we learn that the CEO of the project is....located in France



I wanted to call him and second good surprise! He lives in a cool "hotel and spa". (the phone number is the same)




But, imagine my disappointment: I just called the "Regent Petite France" and nobody knows Neil Michael (but on the other hand they are very interested to discuss with him now )..


To summarize:

- False press review
- Team almost invisible, (the CEO + 1 "translator" on Linkedin)
- Fake location

Does anyone want to invest?

Take care of you

[1715264518]

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[1715264518]

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[1715264518]

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[morvillz7z]

You have a good eye for this stuff!
Here is the CEO and Founder of Bitstash:

and his twitter account: https://twitter.com/kymatt19

Some people have fallen for this thing already  :

https://etherscan.io/address/0xf19903d8e5b7d604b62d2a210b39ba9e1e1f93ef

[Hellmouth42]

I informed:

- the Bounty Manager on Telegram
- the hotel "Régent Petite France", by phone, and mail
- the "real" Matthew Leffler via Twitter (the main victim in this case)

The good news: I think this scam has been long and expensive to set up, the bad news is that indeed many people have already sent funds...
With a little luck, the operation won't be profitable.

[suchmoon]

The Daily Herald (a subdomain) and Telemundo (a local affiliate) sites might be legit, but they're just reposting the press release that costs maybe a few hundred bucks to distribute. Love how THE TIMES links to... pawtuckettimes.com

So misleading but not necessarily fake. But using a hotel phone number is kinda scammy.

[Hellmouth42]

The Daily Herald (a subdomain) and Telemundo (a local affiliate) sites might be legit, but they're just reposting the press release that costs maybe a few hundred bucks to distribute. Love how THE TIMES links to... pawtuckettimes.com

Yes It's sad and pathetic.

There is an whole fake ecosystem fed every day by crooked actors and naive bounty hunters..

Fake news websites, (or worse: fake "crypto-news"), fake ICO ranking sites...
Even the real major in the ICO ranking sector gets paid to give good ratings or let a bot do it...(y"ou have a team ?: 2 points, you have a facebook profile? 2 points, a WP,?, 3 points...3) it doesn't matter that nothing is true behind the fake ICO and they get 4.3/5 easily everywhere...

[Hellmouth42]

I just got an answer from the real person behind "Neil Michael's".
So it is indeed Matthew Leffler.
(via his personal website: http://www.matthewleffler.com/)

His answer:

"Imitation is the greatest form of flattery they say…so I suppose I should be flattered. I appreciate the info.

Matthew"