Recently, Akrabit.com site popped up, promoting itself as a platform to keep cryptocurrency and other assets securely. I managed to gather credible supporting information that unmistakably indicates it is, actually, a deceptive platform.
Contrary to the assertions of Akrabit.com, they will never return your funds. Even though the figures displayed in the “member area”, there is no means to withdraw even a coin. All promises regarding crypto rewards are hollow as well.
AKRABIT Scam Overview
The key feature that AKRABIT attempts to provide is a secure and user-friendly cryptocurrency wallet service. The website pledges crypto exchange facilities, tools for handling wallets, transfers, dashboards, and the like. In truth, they aim to emulate the functionality of a crypto exchange, akin to Binance or Coinbase. However, it in actuality only serves as a shell needed to lull the vigilance.
To begin with, AKRABIT mimics the appearance of multiple equivalent online platforms. There are quite a few examples, like Aflowex, Bitroes or Bloxvest. They are completely identical in terms of visual elements, with minor discrepancies in the site header. Other specific elements, and sometimes even crypto wallet addresses, are matching. Presumably, all these deceptive websites are led by a single team of frauds.
Cryptocurrency Scam Summary
| Website | Akrabit.com |
| Hosting | AS13335 Cloudflare, Inc. United States, San Francisco |
| IP Address | 104.21.16.23 |
| Threat Type | Scam/Fraud |
| Scam Type | Fraudulent offers of cryptocurrency services |
How the AKRABIT Scam Works?
AKRABIT is yet another website within a wide-ranging network of interconnected crypto scam sites. The administrators employ diverse brand names and sites, like Akrabit.com, to capture victims. Nevertheless, these fraudulent websites share identical website designs, terms of service, and About Us information. This exposes their origins as parts of the equal fraudulent network, which advocates the same type of fraud under various covers. The scammers merely replicate the identical deceptive site under different names to fool users into assuming they are joining a fresh venture. However, in actuality, it’s the identical system of swindlers orchestrating the fraudulent pledges and efforts to seize deposited cryptocurrency. The managers skillfully utilize psychological strategies and appealing offers to implement their deceitful plots.
Step 1: Spreading
To initiate the fraud, criminals establish and fill accounts on popular social media platforms. They generally aim at Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Subsequently, the advertising campaign starts. Employing bots and paid promotions (when feasible), fraud actors increase the visibility of their scam activities to possible victims. This strategy permits them to cast an extensive net and engage with their focused spectators. This group typically comprises of cryptocurrency enthusiastic individuals looking for prospects to make profits.
Users get a stimulus to register, drawn by the commitment of getting crypto benefits valued at hundreds of dollars, all without cost. To increase the attractiveness of the offer, false suggestions of sponsorship by a celebrity are incorporated. As you may guess, these assertions are completely baseless.
Step 2: Gaining Traffic
People who demonstrate interest visit Akrabit.com via links featured in promotions or robotic posts. The webpage uses captivating visuals, design elements that appear legitimate, and claims of holding a valid license, all intended to present an initial impression of credibility.
Step 3: Data Gathering
To claim their benefits, users must deliberately sign up on AKRABIT and get prompts to provide sensitive and private data throughout the registration procedure. This includes linking their cryptocurrency wallets, revealing email addresses, specifying phone numbers, sending in identification documents, and more.
Step 4: Requesting funds
Once enrolled, users witness significant amounts of cryptocurrency, valued at hundreds of dollars, within their AKRABIT wallets. Nonetheless, as is typical with such rewards, you cannot withdraw them prior to making a deposit. Usually, a funds transfer of $100 is required to withdraw the sign-up bonus. This condition serves as the snare that ultimately leads to the money loss.
Step 5: Disappear
Signs of Scam
I gathered several facts that point at the scammy nature of the Akrabit.com. Actually, there are a lot of scams that fall under the same points, so they are pretty much universal.
- Unsubstantiated Credibility. AKRABIT employs fraudulent celebrity endorsements, often featuring names like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mr. Beast, and Mark Zuckerberg. These false claims extend to fictitious partnerships with reputable entities like Coinbase, Binance, or MetaMask, despite the absence of genuine connections.
- Implausible Earnings Claims. Promising remarkable returns of 50-100-200%, AKRABIT exploits the longing for quick profits. However, such gains are unrealistic within the volatile cryptocurrency landscape, unequivocally identifying AKRABIT as a scam.
- Dubious Corporate Information. AKRABIT arouses suspicion by providing inadequate documentation about ownership, location, and registration. Furthermore, the lack of legitimate contact information and the recent registration of domain and social media profiles deepen skepticism.
- Exclusive Cryptocurrency Payments. Akrabit.com solely accepts payments in cryptocurrencies, refraining from traditional bank transfers and other payment methods. This approach not only shrouds the company’s identity but also prevents the possibility of requesting refunds.
- Potential Pyramid Scheme. The scam relies on a Ponzi-like referral structure disseminated through social media. Nevertheless, only initial participants profit, often at the expense of funds brought in by subsequent members.
- Groundless Hype Tactics. AKRABIT utilizes fabricated claims about non-existent events, such as securing contracts with Coinbase or receiving endorsements from Elon Musk. This manipulative strategy aims to foster belief in money returns and encourages individuals to top up their accounts again.
What Should I do as a Victim?
If you had to deal with AKRABIT site and fell victim to that scam, there are still some steps to take. They will make further scam attempts harder, and also boost the knowledge about that scam among folks.
- Report the scam to authorities. Search for local authorities responsible for financial frauds, and also notify wallet providers and social networks via their tech support. It is essential to make the further operations of these scammers much harder.
- Tell your close friends. That step is similar to reporting to the authorities, and has similar effects. By posting info about scam crypto service, you decrease the pool of people they can fool.
- Get evidence. Screenshot or save all the information related to the website. URL, screenshot of a main page, login window, EULA, account top-up menu, wallet addresses – all these things may be useful for authorities to find the scammers.
- Check whether you can ask for a refund. As I’ve said above, crypto payments do not fall under refund policies in most banks. Nonetheless, in some circumstances, it is still possible. Never lose hope until you actually confirm it is gone.
- Make your mistake your lesson. Financial losses are always a reason for frustration, but let’s imagine it was a pay for scam revealing courses. Remember the key features of these crypto scam sites, the way they attract people and what they promise. In the future, you will easily recognize a trap of spending no money.
Scan your system for possible malware infections
Beware of cross scams! Scam actors can use your trust to make you download some stuff or interact with certain documents. It may be a trap that installs malware to your system. There are no moral barriers or limits for these scoundrels.
Throughout the course of the fraud, its actors may contact you with particular documents. Alternatively, they may suggest you to set up “cryptocurrency wallet applications” or “browser extensions” to simplify access to your crypto assets. As we earlier determined, these rascals have no intention of giving back your money. So, what do these messages and browser plugins represent? Correct – this is another element of the scam designed to entice you into deliberately installing malicious applications onto your system.
Both plugins and attachments attached to email messages can function as a shell for different malicious software. In this scenario, I anticipate the presence of spyware and stealers among all forms of malicious programs. While it is not mandatory for scammers to distribute malware, the probability is always significant. As stated, their conscience is of negligible importance, and their dignity is already deeply compromised. They have nothing to lose and aim to boost profits.
Frequently asked questions
- Contact your bank or card provider and ask about chargeback options.
- Save screenshots, receipts, tracking numbers, and emails as evidence.
- Change reused passwords and enable two-factor authentication on important accounts.
- Watch for follow-up phishing emails pretending to offer refunds or delivery updates.
