The numbers in your platform account keep rising, yet every time you try to withdraw funds, you are asked to pay taxes or security deposits first — this is one of the most common scam tactics.
Victim met an "investment advisor" via a social media app and was lured to download a mobile application whose interface was nearly identical to that of a well-known exchange. After registering, the victim made an initial deposit of 5,000 USDT and successfully withdrew 500 USDT the same day — establishing trust in the process.
The suspect then urged the victim to increase their investment, citing a "market opportunity window." The victim transferred the equivalent of approximately HKD 1.2 million in USDT. Although the account balance showed a 40% profit, when the victim applied to withdraw funds, customer service representatives demanded payment of a "20% personal income tax," an "account risk security deposit," and an "anti-money laundering verification fee" in sequence.
After paying these three additional charges, the victim was unable to log in to the app, and all customer service accounts had vanished.
How the Scheme Works
1. The fake app was custom-built by the scammers; account balances, price charts, and profit figures can all be freely altered in the backend.
2. An initial small withdrawal is always approved — the sole purpose is to convince you that the platform is legitimate.
3. All such "taxes, security deposits, and certification fees" are designed to extract further money; no funds will ever be withdrawn after payment.
⚠️ WARNING
Legitimate exchanges will never require you to transfer funds to a "personal wallet" or "designated account" in order to make a withdrawal. If you are asked to pay money before you can access your funds, it's 100% a scam.
記住這一句
凡是提現前要你先付錢（稅費、保證金、解凍費、流水費）的，全部是詐騙。立即停止轉帳、保存證據、報警處理。
來源：Compiled Cases
