What are crypto/investment scams?
There is a big increase in scams, where you are asked to invest, preferably in crypto. Fake articles abound on Facebook and other social media, with, for example, the name of Olav Thon and John Fredriksen being misused where it says they have invested in crypto or something else. This is designed to trick you into the same websites.
You are often contacted on social media or by phone by someone pretending to be an English-speaking adviser, often after having invested small sums on the fake websites. Many of these websites look real and show that the money you have invested is growing. So this is just nonsense.
Eventually, when you want to withdraw your payments, you lose contact with the adviser and no one answers you. It may well be that they say you have to invest even more.
How to protect yourself from this?
- A serious actor never asks you for sensitive information. Passport photo, credit card and national ID number.
- Do not click on links.
- Block phone numbers that try to scam you.
- Don't let them remotely control your PC.
- Be critical
Does it sound too good to be true? That is usually the case. If you are exposed to this, you often become responsible even for the money you have invested, and will not get it back.