I’ve always believed in giving back to those in need, and when I came across a crypto charity called “HopeCoin”, I felt compelled to help. The organization claimed to use blockchain technology to send crypto donations to war-torn areas and provide direct financial aid to struggling families.

The website had heartbreaking videos of families thanking donors, alongside images of supplies being delivered to communities in need. They even had partnerships with major humanitarian organizations like UNICEF and the Red Cross.

Moved by their mission, I decided to donate $5,000 in Bitcoin to help provide food and medical aid. After making my donation, I received a personalized thank-you message, along with a blockchain transaction ID confirming my funds had been “sent to those in need.”

However, a month later, I came across an investigation exposing HopeCoin as a scam. The videos on their website were actually stock footage, the testimonials were scripted, and the partnerships were completely fake. When I checked the transaction ID I had been given, I realized it wasn’t a real transfer—it was just a copied blockchain hash from an unrelated transaction.

The “organization” had never helped anyone. They had just exploited people’s emotions and disappeared with millions of dollars in crypto donations.

I felt sick to my stomach. Not only had I lost a significant amount of money, but I had also been fooled into believing I was helping people. The worst part? When I reported the scam, I found out that there was no way to track down the perpetrators since they had used untraceable crypto wallets.