When investigating scams, one of the most important things is recognizing patterns in fraudulent behavior. Recently, we dealt with a case involving OCN Trading Center (C2C), a scam that tricked people with promises of loans. This scam started with a proposal of loans ranging from $300,000 to $500,000.

In this case, the scammer demanded an upfront payment of 1% of the loan amount, which was $30,000. After receiving this, they claimed the client was in default and demanded the full $300,000 loan. They later convinced the client to pay another $60,000, promising access to an “OPA account” for withdrawals. But even that wasn’t enough. They added another 30% requirement for the account to “release” funds.

By the time the client realized something was wrong, they had already lost $90,000. Reading negative reviews online confirmed their suspicions that this was a scam. We helped the client by investigating and creating a report to assist in tracing their losses.

This case shows how scammers manipulate their victims using urgency and false promises of funds. The lack of transparency in their demands and the ever-increasing fees are major red flags. If someone asks for upfront fees for withdrawals or claims you need to “unlock” funds, it’s likely a scam.

We believe this is undoubtedly a scam. CNC Intelligence supported the victim by analyzing their transactions and creating a report. While recovery wasn’t guaranteed, every report adds to the body of knowledge that investigators use to stop these scams. If you’ve come across a similar scam, share your experience here.