URL of Scam: goldharborfinance.com

Type of Scam: Forex Investment Scam
Amount Lost: $36,305.00

Victim Description:

The victim was initially contacted by an individual named “Jenny,” who claimed to represent Pepperstone, a legitimate forex trading company. However, she convinced the victim to invest in forex through a different and fraudulent platform, goldharborfinance.com. The victim transferred a total of $35,287 USD from Coinbase to an account on the scam platform. By the end of June, the account purportedly showed $197,781.02. When the victim attempted to withdraw just $100, the transaction was put on “pending review” and has not been processed since. Despite multiple attempts to contact “Jenny” and the platform’s tech support, the victim has received no response. The victim can still view the funds in their account but cannot access them. This situation has resulted in significant personal and financial stress for the victim and their family.

Cryptocurrency Addresses Used:

35mGR4LnrFYfZuqbM7aTCoMkwagJ2D6Q9N
0xaC021C92585Ff920897813d7DcB6B68aDb19D937
0xCcdEbA71Ab5cc5D1bb0d251FcE9B8689Bc967c53

Open-Source Intelligence Analysis: Key Details of goldharborfinance.com Scam
Scam Overview:

The website goldharborfinance.com appears to be a fraudulent platform masquerading as a legitimate forex trading service. The scam involved the use of impersonation tactics, where the scammer, under the guise of a representative from a reputable company, misled the victim into transferring a large sum of money into a manipulated or entirely fake forex trading account.

Domain and Hosting Information:

Domain Name: goldharborfinance.com
Registrar: Gname.com Pte. Ltd.
Registration Details:Registered On: May 8, 2024
Expires On: May 8, 2025
Updated On: May 8, 2024
Status: clientTransferProhibited
Name Servers:perla.ns.cloudflare.com
zac.ns.cloudflare.com

The domain is relatively new, and its registration details indicate it might have been specifically created for the purpose of this scam. The use of Cloudflare name servers helps to mask the true hosting details, providing anonymity to the operators of the site.

Scammer’s Tactics:

Impersonation: The scammer posed as a representative from a legitimate company to earn the victim’s trust.

High Returns Promise: The fraudulent account showed an unrealistic growth in funds, designed to keep the victim hopeful and engaged, delaying suspicions.

Withdrawal Blockage: The victim’s inability to withdraw even a small amount of money is a classic red flag in investment scams.

Recommendations:
Cease Further Transactions: Immediately stop all communication with individuals or entities associated with goldharborfinance.com. Do not transfer any more funds.
Report the Scam: File detailed reports with local law enforcement, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Reporting to cryptocurrency platforms involved (like Coinbase) may also help flag the associated accounts.
Blockchain Analysis: Engage a professional service to perform a blockchain analysis on the wallet addresses where the funds were sent. This could potentially trace where the funds have been moved or if they are still in the scammers’ possession.

Legal Consultation: Considering the substantial amount lost and the ongoing nature of this scam, seeking legal advice could be beneficial. A lawyer specializing in fraud or financial recovery might offer avenues to potentially recover some of the funds.
Consumer Awareness: Share this experience on social media platforms and financial forums to raise awareness about the scam, potentially helping prevent others from falling victim to similar scams.

Conclusion:
goldharborfinance.com represents a sophisticated forex investment scam resulting in significant personal and financial loss for the victim. The platform uses deceitful tactics such as impersonating legitimate business representatives and showcasing falsified account growth to lure victims into transferring large sums of money. Immediate actions, such as reporting the scam and ceasing all further contact, are crucial to preventing further losses and potentially aiding in the recovery of stolen funds.

Goldharborfinance.com is yet another fraudulent forex trading platform that has entrapped users with enticing promises of high returns and fabricated profits. Despite its seemingly professional design and interface, the platform’s lack of legitimate customer support and regulatory oversight make it a prime example of an investment scam.

Victim misled by Promises and Left in Limbo

On May 4th, a victim reported their first interaction with a contact named “Jenny,” who represented herself as an agent of Pepperstone. Convincing the victim to invest in forex trading, Jenny persuaded them to transfer $35,287 USD via Coinbase to an account created on Goldharborfinance.com’s app. By the end of June, the victim’s account reflected a significant growth, with available funds displayed as $197,781. However, when the victim attempted a withdrawal of $100 on June 29th, the transaction status remained “pending review” and has not been processed since.

Despite repeated attempts to contact Jenny and the platform’s technical support team, the victim received no response. Although the victim can still access their account and view their supposed funds, withdrawals have been impossible, trapping their money in an inaccessible state.

The cryptocurrency transactions related to this scam involved significant amounts transferred to common wallet addresses. On May 7, 2024, 3,059.147796 USDT was transferred to the wallet ID 0xaC021C92585Ff920897813d7DcB6B68aDb19D937 , followed by further transactions to the same address on May 8 (1,034.288859 USDT), May 14 (3,839.91689 USDT), May 15 (1,948.28137 USDT), May 22 (8,740.310946 USDT), May 28 (8,890.138895 USDT), and June 17 (4,850.393384 USDT). Additionally, on July 5, 2024, a transaction of 1,988.055756 USDT was made to wallet ID 0xCcdEbA71Ab5cc5D1bb0d251FcE9B8689Bc967c53.

A notable BTC transaction occurred on May 8, 2024, where 0.03089957 BTC was sent to wallet ID 35mGR4LnrFYfZuqbM7aTCoMkwagJ2D6Q9N .

Domain and Registration Details

An analysis of the domain registration for Goldharborfinance.com highlights concerning factors:

Domain: goldharborfinance.com
Registrar: Gname.com Pte. Ltd.
Registered On: 2024-05-08
Expires On: 2025-05-08
Updated On: 2024-05-08
Status: clientTransferProhibited
Name Servers: perla.ns.cloudflare.com, zac.ns.cloudflare.com
The recent registration date suggests the platform was established as part of a quick, short-term scheme designed to lure and exploit investors.

Red Flags and Warning Signs

Unrealistic Promises: High returns with minimal risk and effort are often indicative of scam operations.
Lack of Customer Support: The victim’s inability to reach customer support highlights the platform’s unreliability.
New Domain Registration: The registration date aligns with the pattern of short-lived scam operations.
Continuous “Pending” Status: Withholding withdrawals and asking for more payments is a classic move to prolong the scam and extract more funds from victims.
Conclusion

Goldharborfinance.com exemplifies a fraudulent forex trading platform that uses promises of high returns and fabricated profits to entice users. With no real customer support, a newly registered domain, and multiple user reports of financial loss, it is clear that Goldharborfinance.com operates as a scam. Potential investors are urged to avoid this platform and report it to relevant authorities to prevent further victimization.