We Investigated Aptosf: Legit or Scam? The Facts

Recently, Aptosf.net service appeared, promoting itself as a platform where you can safely keep cryptocurrency and other assets. I managed to gather credible supporting information that unmistakably indicates it is, actually, a fraudulent platform.

Despite what Aptosf site says, they won’t give back your money. Even though the figures displayed in the “member area”, there is absolutely no way to take out even a single penny. All commitments regarding crypto bonuses are baseless as well.

It is better to prevent, than repair and repent!

When we talk about the intrusion of unfamiliar programs into your computer’s work, the proverb “Forewarned is forearmed” describes the situation as accurately as possible. Gridinsoft Anti-Malware is exactly the tool that is always useful to have in your armory: fast, efficient, up-to-date. It is appropriate to use it as an emergency help at the slightest suspicion of infection.

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Aptosf Scam Overview

The main offering that Aptosf strives to provide is a protected and convenient crypto wallet service. The website promises exchange facilities, tools for handling wallets, transfers, dashboards, and similar stuff. In truth, they aim to emulate the functionality of a crypto trading platform, like Binance or Coinbase. However, it actually exclusively serves as a cover intended to mislead the cautious.

Aptosf Scam

To begin with, Aptosf mimics the layout of multiple similar websites. There are quite a few examples, like Activefinancial, Alankirkhopegroup or Acebusttercrypto. They are completely undistinguishable in terms of visual elements, with minor discrepancies in the website header. Other particulars, and at times even crypto wallet addresses, are the same. Presumably, all these fraudulent sites are led by the same team of scoundrels.

Cryptocurrency Scam Summary

How the Aptosf Scam Works?

Aptosf is yet another webpage within a wide-ranging network of associated crypto fraudulent sites. The operators utilize various brand names and sites, like Aptosf.net, to trap victims. However, these false sites possess the same website designs, terms of service, and About content. This exposes their beginnings as parts of the equal scam network, which promotes the similar type of deception under different appearances. The deceivers just replicate the identical scam website under various names to deceive users into assuming they are participating in a new opportunity. However, in actuality, it’s the equal group of swindlers orchestrating the deceptive commitments and undertakings to seize deposited funds. The operators skillfully utilize psychological maneuvers and appealing invitations to execute their dishonest schemes.

Step 1: Spreading

To start the deceptive scheme, criminals create and fill accounts on well-liked social media platforms. They primarily focus on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Subsequently, the marketing campaign starts. Using bots and paid ads (when possible), scam actors boost the exposure of their deceptive activities to potential victims. This tactic allows them to create an extensive net and interact with their aimed audience. This audience usually comprises of cryptocurrency enthusiastic individuals seeking opportunities to earn profits.

Users receive a stimulus to sign up, drawn by the commitment of getting crypto rewards valued at hundreds of dollars, all free of charge. To increase the attractiveness of the offer, false suggestions of sponsorship by a celebrity are incorporated. As you may guess, these claims are completely baseless.

Step 2: Gaining Traffic

People who demonstrate interest go to Aptosf.net via links featured in advertisements or bot-generated posts. The webpage employs captivating visuals, design features that appear legitimate, and claims of possessing a legitimate license, all intended to project an initial image of reliability.

Step 3: Data Gathering

To collect their prizes, users must deliberately sign up on Aptosf and get guidance to submit sensitive and private data throughout the enrollment procedure. This includes linking their cryptocurrency wallets, revealing email addresses, specifying phone numbers, submitting identification papers, and the like.

Step 4: Requesting funds

Once signed up, users notice considerable amounts of cryptocurrency, valued at thousands of dollars, within their Aptosf wallets. However, as is standard with such bonuses, you cannot withdraw them ahead of making a deposit. Normally, a deposit of $100 is required to get the sign-up bonus. This stipulation serves as the snare that ultimately culminates to the money loss.

Step 5: Disappear

The point in time the funds transfer is made, the deceivers cease all communication. They move forward to block users, remove accounts, and disappear with both the deposited capital and essential personal information. The fictitious benefits persist perpetually uncredited, as they lack actual existence. They act solely as a deceptive ploy. This technique forms the foundation for the scammers’ capability to trick victims and steal hard-earned money through their duplicative internet-based crypto scam.

Signs of Scam

I gathered several facts that point at the scammy nature of the Aptosf.net. Actually, there are a lot of scams that fall under the same points, so they are pretty much universal.

• Cryptocurrency-Only Transactions. Aptosf.net insists on cryptocurrency payments exclusively, excluding conventional methods like bank transfers. This strategy ensures anonymity for the scam and eliminates any possibility of seeking refunds.
• Dubious Company Credentials. Aptosf arouses suspicion by failing to provide critical information about ownership, location, and legal registration. The lack of valid contact details and the recent creation of domain and social media profiles cast doubt on its legitimacy.
• Baseless Hype Generation. Aptosf resorts to fabricating non-existent achievements, such as contracts with Coinbase or endorsements from Elon Musk, to manipulate emotions and enhance the perception of potential returns, enticing victims to invest more.
• Fictitious Celebrity Association. Aptosf employs a deceptive tactic by falsely associating itself with well-known figures like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mr. Beast, and Mark Zuckerberg. Additionally, the scam falsely claims partnerships with established entities like Coinbase, Binance, or MetaMask to bolster its false credibility.
• Potential Ponzi-Like Model. The scam operates on a pyramid-style referral system disseminated through social media, benefiting only initial participants and relying on later investments to sustain the illusion.
• Unrealistic Profit Promises. Promising improbable returns of 50-100-200%, Aptosf capitalizes on the desire for high profits. However, the tumultuous nature of the cryptocurrency market renders such gains implausible, solidifying Aptosf.net as a definite scam.

What Should I do as a Victim?

If you had to deal with Aptosf 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.

• Secure Your Actions. Begin by promptly reporting the scam to appropriate local authorities tasked with handling financial fraud. Notify wallet providers and engage with social networks’ technical support teams. By taking these measures, you contribute to making the scammers’ operations significantly more difficult.
• Expand Awareness. Extend your efforts by sharing the scam information with your close friends. This action has a parallel effect to reporting to the authorities, as disseminating details about fraudulent crypto services reduces the potential victims they can deceive.
• Gather Evidence. Preserve comprehensive evidence by capturing screenshots and saving all pertinent data linked to the deceptive website. Collect the URL, screenshots of the main page, login interface, end-user license agreement (EULA), account top-up menu, and wallet addresses. These materials could prove invaluable for authorities in their pursuit of the scammers.
• Explore Refund Possibilities. While cryptocurrency payments generally fall outside the scope of refund policies within most banks, it’s worth investigating the potential for a refund in specific circumstances. Maintain optimism until you definitively confirm the loss.
• Convert Mistake into Wisdom. Transform your financial setback into a valuable learning experience. Treat your loss as an investment in understanding the tactics of crypto scam sites. Familiarize yourself with their key characteristics, how they lure individuals, and the grandiose promises they make. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll be well-equipped to recognize and avoid falling into future traps without incurring further losses.

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 duration of the fraud, fraudsters may contact you with particular files. Alternatively, they may suggest you to install “cryptocurrency wallet applications” or “browser extensions” to simplify access to your crypto assets. As we already figured out, these scoundrels have no plan of restoring your money. So, what do these email messages and browser plugins represent? Correct – this is another component of the fraudulent scheme designed to throw you into willingly running destructive programs onto your computer.

Both extensions and attachments attached to emails can serve as a shell for various malware. In this case, I foresee the presence of spyware and stealers among other forms of threats. While it is not mandatory for scammers to distribute malware, the likelihood is always above zero. As noted, their conscience is of negligible importance, and their dignity is already neck deep in mud. They have no principles to give up and intend to boost revenues.

Remove spyware with Gridinsoft Anti-Malware

We have also been using this software on our systems ever since, and it has always been successful in detecting viruses. It has blocked the most common malicious programs as shown from our tests with the software, and we assure you that it can remove spyware as well as other malware hiding on your computer.

To use Gridinsoft for remove malicious threats, follow the steps below:

1. Begin by downloading Gridinsoft Anti-Malware, accessible via the blue button below or directly from the official website gridinsoft.com.

2.Once the Gridinsoft setup file (setup-gridinsoft-fix.exe) is downloaded, execute it by clicking on the file.

3.Follow the installation setup wizard's instructions diligently.

4. Access the "Scan Tab" on the application's start screen and launch a comprehensive "Full Scan" to examine your entire computer. This inclusive scan encompasses the memory, startup items, the registry, services, drivers, and all files, ensuring that it detects malware hidden in all possible locations.

Be patient, as the scan duration depends on the number of files and your computer's hardware capabilities. Use this time to relax or attend to other tasks.

5. Upon completion, Anti-Malware will present a detailed report containing all the detected malicious items and threats on your PC.

6. Select all the identified items from the report and confidently click the "Clean Now" button. This action will safely remove the malicious files from your computer, transferring them to the secure quarantine zone of the anti-malware program to prevent any further harmful actions.

8. If prompted, restart your computer to finalize the full system scan procedure. This step is crucial to ensure thorough removal of any remaining threats. After the restart, Gridinsoft Anti-Malware will open and display a message confirming the completion of the scan.

Remember Gridinsoft offers a 6-day free trial. This means you can take advantage of the trial period at no cost to experience the full benefits of the software and prevent any future malware infections on your system. Embrace this opportunity to fortify your computer's security without any financial commitment.

Trojan Killer for “spyware” removal on locked PC

In situations where it becomes impossible to download antivirus applications directly onto the infected computer due to malware blocking access to websites, an alternative solution is to utilize the Trojan Killer application.

There is a really little number of security tools that are able to be set up on the USB drives, and antiviruses that can do so in most cases require to obtain quite an expensive license. For this instance, I can recommend you to use another solution of GridinSoft - Trojan Killer Portable. It has a 14-days cost-free trial mode that offers the entire features of the paid version. This term will definitely be 100% enough to wipe malware out.

Trojan Killer is a valuable tool in your cybersecurity arsenal, helping you to effectively remove malware from infected computers. Now, we will walk you through the process of using Trojan Killer from a USB flash drive to scan and remove malware on an infected PC. Remember, always obtain permission to scan and remove malware from a computer that you do not own.

Step 1: Download & Install Trojan Killer on a Clean Computer:

1. Go to the official GridinSoft website (gridinsoft.com) and download Trojan Killer to a computer that is not infected.

2. Insert a USB flash drive into this computer.

3. Install Trojan Killer to the "removable drive" following the on-screen instructions.

4. Once the installation is complete, launch Trojan Killer.

Step 2: Update Signature Databases:

5. After launching Trojan Killer, ensure that your computer is connected to the Internet.

6. Click "Update" icon to download the latest signature databases, which will ensure the tool can detect the most recent threats.

Step 3: Scan the Infected PC:

7. Safely eject the USB flash drive from the clean computer.

8. Boot the infected computer to the Safe Mode.

9. Insert the USB flash drive.

10. Run tk.exe

11. Once the program is open, click on "Full Scan" to begin the malware scanning process.

Step 4: Remove Found Threats:

12. After the scan is complete, Trojan Killer will display a list of detected threats.

13. Click on "Cure PC!" to remove the identified malware from the infected PC.

14. Follow any additional on-screen prompts to complete the removal process.

Step 5: Restart Your Computer:

15. Once the threats are removed, click on "Restart PC" to reboot your computer.

16. Remove the USB flash drive from the infected computer.

Congratulations on effectively removing spyware and the concealed threats from your computer! You can now have peace of mind, knowing that they won't resurface again. Thanks to Gridinsoft's capabilities and commitment to cybersecurity, your system is now protected.

Frequently asked questions

The truth about Aptosf

Name: Aptosf

Description: Cryptocurrency scams continue to increase as digital assets achieve mainstream adoption. A recent example of such a scam involves Aptosf, a fraudulent crypto exchange that entices victims with promises of free crypto giveaways. This detailed article will extensively examine the operations of the Aptosf scam, techniques for recognizing it, and, most crucially, ways to evade becoming a victim.

Operating System: All

Application Category: Crypto Scams

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