Type of Scam: Investment
Calculated Amount Lost: $5,142.00 USD
URL of Scam: trx89-trx.com

Victim Description:
The victim is a new cryptocurrency user who was scammed through an ETH farming app. The victim invested funds into a platform claiming to offer returns from ETH farming, but after depositing USDT, they were told their funds were frozen and that they needed to deposit an additional $2,199.60 to unlock their funds. The victim suspects they were scammed and lost a total of approximately $5,460 USD, which included funds intended for their daughter’s education.

Scam Domain Details:

Domain Name: trx89-trx.com
Registrar: Shanghai Meicheng Technology Information Development Co., Ltd.
Registered On: September 14, 2024
Expires On: September 14, 2025
Updated On: September 14, 2024
Status: clientTransferProhibited
Name Servers: olivia.ns.cloudflare.com, roman.ns.cloudflare.com

Wallet Address Used in the Scam:

• 0xdfa5D9eb1F76337d508E83dB3C1C236b71A96D38

Open-Source Intelligence Analysis: Key Details of trx89-trx.com Scam
Scam Overview:
The victim reports falling for an ETH farming scam, where they were led to invest funds, initially USDT, into a platform promising high returns from Ethereum (ETH) farming. After depositing their funds, the scammer falsely claimed that the victim’s funds were “frozen” and required an additional deposit of $2,199.60 USD to unfreeze the account. This is a classic Ponzi scheme or fake crypto farming platform, where the scammer exploits the victim’s lack of experience with cryptocurrency to extract more money.

Scam Tactics:

The victim was tricked into thinking they could earn returns from ETH farming on a fraudulent platform.
After depositing funds, the victim was told their funds were “frozen” in a pool and required additional funds to be unlocked, a common tactic used by scammers to keep extracting money from victims.
The scammer used the victim’s Trust Wallet and USDT to perform the fraudulent transactions, taking advantage of the victim’s unfamiliarity with cryptocurrency processes.
The domain trx89-trx.com is registered recently in September 2024, which aligns with its fraudulent activities targeting unsuspecting cryptocurrency beginners. The use of Cloudflare name servers also suggests that the platform is attempting to obscure its real location and ownership.

Recommendations:
Report the Scam:
The victim should immediately report the incident to relevant authorities, such as the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) or a local law enforcement agency. Additionally, reporting to Trust Wallet may help prevent others from falling victim to the same scam.
Trace the Wallet Address:
The victim can use blockchain explorers such as Etherscan to trace the movements of the wallet address 0xdfa5D9eb1F76337d508E83dB3C1C236b71A96D38. This might help track the scammer’s activities and identify other victims, potentially leading to recovery efforts.
Crypto Recovery Services:
Since the scam involves cryptocurrency, the victim should consider reaching out to a cryptocurrency recovery service that specializes in tracing and recovering stolen crypto funds. These services have experience working with blockchain data and may be able to help.
Prevent Future Scams:
The victim should familiarize themselves with common cryptocurrency scams, such as fake farming platforms, Ponzi schemes, and Phishing attacks. It’s essential to exercise caution and conduct due diligence before making investments in crypto.
Education on Crypto:
Given that the victim is new to cryptocurrency, it is highly recommended to continue learning about blockchain technology, wallet security, and scam prevention. There are many reputable educational resources available online to help beginners.

Conclusion:
The victim has lost $5,142.00 USD (and potentially more) through a scam involving the platform trx89-trx.com. The scam operated by misleading the victim into investing in a fake ETH farming app and then demanding additional funds to unfreeze the invested money. Immediate action should be taken to report the scam, trace the stolen funds, and explore recovery options.