I thought I had landed my dream job in the cryptocurrency industry. After months of searching, I received an email from what looked like a reputable blockchain company called Blockchain Innovations Inc.. The company had a professional-looking website, LinkedIn page, and multiple employees listed. A recruiter named Michael Lee contacted me directly, saying he had found my profile on LinkedIn and was impressed with my experience in crypto analysis. The job offer was everything I wanted—a remote position, flexible hours, and an $85,000 annual salary with bonuses paid in Bitcoin.

The hiring process was smooth, with official documents, contracts, and an NDA sent to me for signing. They even had me complete an online interview, making everything feel legitimate. After passing the interview, they asked me for a few things: a scanned copy of my passport, a utility bill for address verification, and my wallet address for payroll purposes. I hesitated but reasoned that big financial firms often require verification for compliance reasons.

The final step, according to them, was setting up a “company trading account” to start work. They told me I had to deposit a $1,000 refundable security fee to activate my account and ensure that I wasn’t a fraudulent applicant. I hesitated, but the recruiter reassured me that every employee had to do this. Not wanting to lose the job, I sent the money.

That was the last time I heard from them. The email addresses stopped working, the LinkedIn recruiter disappeared, and the company’s website suddenly went offline. It was only later, after researching deeper, that I found out this company never existed. Even worse, my identity was used to open crypto accounts, which were then linked to fraudulent transactions. I had not only lost my money but also became a victim of identity theft.