On November 15, 2024, we received the following complaint from a person who reported being scammed by crypto-crest.com for $15,000:

I was scammed into a cryptocurrency investment. A Facebook friend had their identity stolen, but I didn’t know it at the time. The hacker took over their entire Facebook account, posting about crypto trading certificates and claiming to have a new job helping families earn money through cryptocurrency trading. Seeing these personal posts made me think it must be legitimate. I reasoned that if it wasn’t, why would my friend be sharing so much about it?

Over the next month, I had very elaborate chats with the hackers. They guided me through registering on a seemingly secure website, and I even watched my investment grow. It all seemed promising. However, once the trading ended, the company behind the website demanded a crypto VAT tax (supposedly a legitimate government fee) and an insurance fee because the withdrawal amount exceeded a certain threshold. I paid these fees, but after the final payment, my “Facebook friend’s” account disappeared. I still have the entire messenger conversation and the chats with the company’s so-called “account manager” saved.