I’ve been active in crypto for a while, and I thought I knew what to look out for. But nothing prepared me for the way I was scammed through a fake crypto lending platform.

It all started when I saw an ad on Facebook for CryptoLendPro, a platform that promised up to 25% interest on staked crypto in just 30 days. The website looked professional—there were explanations about decentralized lending, a “partners” section listing major crypto exchanges, and a team of experts with photos and LinkedIn profiles. What seemed most promising was their daily interest payouts. I couldn’t resist—the idea of earning passive income from my crypto investments was too tempting.

At first, I deposited $1,500 worth of Ethereum, thinking that if this platform was truly legitimate, the returns would come as promised. A few days later, I received a small payout—just enough to make me feel comfortable. Confident in my decision, I deposited an additional $5,000 into the platform. The website tracked everything in real-time, showing my interest accumulating daily.

But when I went to withdraw some of my earnings, the trouble began. The platform claimed it needed “extra verification” to process my request. I was told I had to pay a small fee to cover withdrawal costs. Naively, I paid another $250. After that, the platform started requesting even more fees. The more I asked for my money back, the more they demanded additional payments.

Eventually, the website was taken offline, and I could no longer log in. I frantically searched for information and found dozens of similar stories online—CryptoLendPro had disappeared with millions in user deposits.

This painful experience taught me that high returns and “guaranteed” interest rates are red flags. If a lending platform can promise such high returns with little risk, it’s most likely a scam. Now, I only trust well-established platforms and always double-check their regulatory status before investing.