Scam Type: Investment Scam
Scam URL: avadigital-miners.com

Overview:
The AVAdigital-miners.com platform is a fraudulent investment scheme that preyed on an unsuspecting individual, ultimately causing a loss of $5,380. The victim was lured into the scam by a person named Cynthia Davidson, who claimed to be a Bitcoin and Crypto Senior Manager. Promises of quick profits and easy withdrawals turned into repeated demands for additional payments, leaving the victim with substantial financial losses and no recourse for recovery.

Scam Details:
The victim was initially contacted by Cynthia Davidson via Facebook, where she advertised herself as a Senior Manager with experience in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency trading. She claimed that users could start with a small investment and would be able to withdraw profits after seven days. Trusting this pitch, the victim made an initial investment of $105.

A day or two after the initial deposit, Davidson insisted that the victim meet a minimum deposit requirement of $750 to proceed with further investments. The victim complied, hoping that their funds would grow, as promised.

After the seven-day period, the victim tried to withdraw their balance of $31,030, only to be informed that a 10% commission fee was required before the withdrawal could be processed. This would amount to $3,103, which the victim had to borrow. Again, the victim trusted the scammer and made the payment, believing the transaction would proceed.

However, Davidson continued to ask for more funds. She claimed that a $1,500 processing fee was required by the bank before the deposit could be processed. In desperation, the victim borrowed this amount as well and made the payment.

Upon sending the $1,500, the victim was told that the funds would be transferred within 24 hours, but after the time elapsed, no deposit was made. Davidson then directed the victim to contact the disbursement office via WhatsApp at 410-497-7091. Here, the victim was further scammed, being told to register an account at https://macrodfinb.com/, which was presented as part of the “official process.”

After completing the registration, the victim was informed that an $8,000 processing fee was needed before the money could be released, despite having already paid multiple fees. At this point, the victim realized they were caught in an elaborate scam. Attempts to reach out to Davidson for a refund went unanswered.

The wallet addresses provided by the victim show that funds were transferred to the scam’s wallet:

BTC Wallet Address: bc1qxr6fuxvk4pg0ff2u0v5mvpxls4eagllm8lpau2
BTC Wallet Address: 332GMzbcHmnSh6K2PhXz7CxGxT8yuc7RFK
BTC Wallet Address: 3GbUf9QURZ8goPsi1YpnXyzsj4xrNEDU8X

Website Information:
The website avadigital-miners.com was registered recently, in March 2023, with a relatively short expiration date set for March 2025, suggesting it may have been created solely for fraudulent purposes.

Registrar: PDR Ltd. d/b/a PublicDomainRegistry.com
Domain Registration Date: March 20, 2023
Expiration Date: March 20, 2025
Domain Status: clientTransferProhibited
Name Servers:ns17.asurahosting.com, ns17.my-control-panel.com, ns18.asurahosting.com, ns18.my-control-panel.com

The website’s registration details reveal that it is hosted on a less reputable server, often used by scammers to hide their tracks.

How the Scam Works:
Initial Contact: The victim is contacted through social media (in this case, Facebook) by a person claiming to be a cryptocurrency expert. This person offers an easy investment opportunity with high returns.
Multiple Deposits: After the initial deposit, the victim is pressured to make additional deposits to meet minimum requirements and to cover supposed fees (like commissions and processing fees).
Fake Withdrawal Requests: The victim is led to believe that they can withdraw their funds once they pay more fees. However, the withdrawal never happens.
Continuous Payments: The scammer continues to fabricate fees and other costs, requiring the victim to make further payments, each time convincing them that the funds will eventually be released.
Disappearing Act: Once the victim can no longer pay or questions the process, the scammer stops communicating altogether, and the victim is left with no way to recover their money.

Red Flags:
Unsolicited Contact: The victim was approached through Facebook, which is a common platform for scammers to make contact.
Unrealistic Promises: Promises of quick and substantial returns, such as a $31,030 balance from a small initial investment, are typical signs of a scam.
Request for Multiple Fees: The scammer repeatedly demanded more money to cover fake processing and commission fees, which is a common tactic to extract more funds from victims.
Fake Website and Testimonials: The platform avadigital-miners.com and its associated testimonials are likely fabricated to convince victims of its legitimacy.
No Response to Refund Requests: Once the victim made multiple payments, the scammer stopped responding, which is a strong indicator of fraudulent intent.

How to Protect Yourself:
Verify Investment Platforms: Before investing in any platform, verify its legitimacy by researching online reviews, checking its domain registration, and ensuring it has valid licenses.
Be Cautious of Unsolicited Offers: Be wary of any unsolicited contact, especially through social media platforms like Facebook, which is commonly used by scammers to initiate contact.
Look for Red Flags: If a platform requires multiple payments for processing or withdrawal, this is a major red flag.
Never Pay Fees for Withdrawals: Legitimate investment platforms will not ask you to pay upfront fees for withdrawals.
Report Scams to Authorities: If you suspect you’ve been scammed, report it to local authorities, and contact consumer protection agencies.

Conclusion:
The avadigital-miners.com scam demonstrates how scammers manipulate victims with promises of easy returns and fake testimonials. By fabricating a series of fees and fake withdrawal processes, they managed to extract $5,380 from the victim, who trusted the scammer due to their apparent expertise in cryptocurrency. Victims of such scams should immediately cease any further communication with the perpetrators, report the incident to authorities, and warn others about the dangers of unverified investment platforms.