Recently, a troubling incident involving an Instagram account under the name “westwood_luna_art” came to our attention. This account reached out to unsuspecting victims, promising an art mural project and payment for participation. The scam began with direct messages from “Luna”, who expressed interest in creating a mural of the victim. She then introduced her supposed client, who asked the victim to send money for art supplies via Bitcoin. The victim, trusting the project’s legitimacy, sent $1,500 in Bitcoin to the wallet address 3Qy8L9GG6SdwmBURTCiAssbi6nCwrf3FZK.

In return, they were promised paychecks which turned out to be fraudulent. Once the victim realized the checks were bogus, they tried to contact Luna again, only to find that her Instagram profile had been deleted. This left the victim without the promised art mural and a significant financial loss.

Receiving Address: 3Qy8L9GG6SdwmBURTCiAssbi6nCwrf3FZK

Upon investigating the Bitcoin address 3Qy8L9GG6SdwmBURTCiAssbi6nCwrf3FZK, it becomes evident that this address has been involved in numerous transactions, raising significant red flags. This address, a Base58 (P2SH) type, has a current balance of 0.00009646 BTC, approximately $6.37, which is notably low given its transaction history.

The total received by this address is 0.46674321 BTC, valued at $30,824.45, while the total sent is nearly identical at 0.46664675 BTC, amounting to $30,818.08. These figures indicate a high turnover rate, with the total volume of transactions reaching 0.93338996 BTC, equating to $61,642.53. Notably, this address has participated in 192 transactions, suggesting frequent activity that could be indicative of illicit operations.

The transactional history showcases various patterns typical of scam operations. For instance, large amounts of BTC are received and then quickly sent out, minimizing the balance left in the account. This behavior is common in scam addresses to avoid detection and facilitate the rapid movement of funds, making it harder for authorities to trace the transactions.

The most recent transactions include significant amounts being moved, such as 0.02275535 BTC ($1,502.80) sent out with a substantial fee of 462.7K Sats ($305.58) and 0.01281282 BTC ($846.18) transferred with a fee of 596.7K Sats ($394.06). These high transaction fees could indicate an attempt to expedite the transactions, a tactic often used by scammers to move funds quickly before being traced.

Comparing this data with the complaint, the information aligns seamlessly. The victim’s reported amount of $1,500 matches one of the significant outgoing transactions from this address. This corroborates the claim that the funds were sent to this specific address as part of the fraudulent scheme. The analysis of this address highlights the patterns and behaviors typical of a scam operation, reinforcing the legitimacy of the victim’s complaint.