We Investigated Corteex: Legit or Scam? The Facts

Recently, Corteex.com service popped up, promoting itself as a place to store cryptocurrency and other assets securely. I managed to gather reliable supporting information that unmistakably reveals it is, in fact, a scam service.

Despite what Corteex site says, they won’t ever refund your money. Even though the money displayed in the “member area”, there is zero ability to withdraw even a penny. All pledges regarding crypto rewards are empty as well.

It is better to prevent, than repair and repent!

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Corteex Scam Overview

The primary offering that Corteex strives to provide is a secure and user-friendly cryptocurrency wallet service. The site pledges exchange facilities, tools for managing wallets, transfers, dashboards, and similar stuff. In reality, they aim to emulate the functionality of a crypto marketplace, akin to Binance or Coinbase. However, it actually only serves as a cover needed to lull the vigilance.

Corteex Scam

To begin with, Corteex reproduces the appearance of many similar pages. There are quite a few examples, like Bewnot, Coloteh or Plytonex. They are totally undistinguishable in terms of graphic elements, with minor discrepancies in the website header. Other particulars, and at times even crypto wallet addresses, are unchanged. Presumably, all these deceptive online platforms are managed by a single team of fraudsters.

Cryptocurrency Scam Summary

How the Corteex Scam Works?

Corteex is yet another online platform within a wide-ranging network of interconnected crypto fraudulent platforms. The administrators employ various brand titles and websites, like Corteex.com, to ensnare victims. However, these fraudulent sites share matching designs, terms of service, and About information. This unveils their sources as parts of the same fraudulent network, which advocates the similar type of scam under diverse disguises. The scammers just replicate the equal deceptive website under various names to mislead users into assuming they are enrolling a new opportunity. However, in actuality, it’s the same group of swindlers orchestrating the deceptive promises and efforts to seize deposited funds. The managers shrewdly make use of psychological tactics and enticing invitations to execute their unscrupulous schemes.

Step 1: Spreading

To start the deceptive scheme, criminals set up and fill accounts on well-liked social media platforms. They primarily focus on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Subsequently, the marketing campaign begins. Utilizing bots and sponsored ads (when possible), scam actors intensify the visibility of their scam activities to possible victims. This approach permits them to cast an extensive net and interact with their focused spectators. The latter usually comprises of cryptocurrency enthusiasts seeking prospects to earn profits.

Users get an encouragement to register, enticed by the assurance of getting crypto prizes valued at thousands of dollars, all without cost. To enhance the attractiveness of the offer, fake suggestions of sponsorship by a celebrity are incorporated. As you may guess, these assertions are entirely baseless.

Step 2: Gaining Traffic

People who show interest go to Corteex.com via links present in advertisements or bot-generated posts. The website utilizes captivating visuals, design features that appear genuine, and assertions of holding a legitimate license, all intended to project an initial impression of reliability.

Step 3: Data Gathering

To claim their prizes, users need to actively sign up on Corteex and receive guidance to submit sensitive and private data throughout the enrollment procedure. This comprises linking their cryptocurrency wallets, revealing email addresses, specifying phone numbers, furnishing identification documents, and the like.

Step 4: Requesting funds

Once enrolled, users witness substantial amounts of cryptocurrency, valued at thousands of dollars, within their Corteex wallets. Nevertheless, as is common with such bonuses, you can’t withdraw them prior to making a deposit. Typically, a deposit of $100 is required to get the sign-up bonus. This stipulation serves as the snare that eventually results to the money loss.

Step 5: Disappear

The point in time the funds transfer is made, the deceivers cease all communication. They go ahead to block users, delete accounts, and vanish with both the transferred money and vital private data. The fictitious rewards remain perpetually uncredited, as they lack genuine existence. They function exclusively as a fraudulent maneuver. This method forms the foundation for the scammers’ capability to deceive victims and steal hard-earned funds through their duplicative online crypto scam.

Signs of Scam

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

• Absent company details. Corteex does not provide any documentation about its ownership, location or registration. No legitimate contact details are given either. Moreover, it appears that the domain and all social network pages were registered quite recently.
• Fake sponsorship from a celebrity. Scams like Corteex like to pick a celebrity as a sponsor of this entire campaign. For obvious reasons, fraudsters generally choose Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mr. Beast, Mark Zuckerberg, and similar celebrities. They do not disdain claiming partnership with a company as well. Even though Coinbase, Binance or MetaMask never heard of Corteex, they do not care – this creates a halo of credibility.
• Potential Ponzi Scheme. The scam relies on a Ponzi-like referral system to spread reach through social media. In fact, only the first members will receive the payoff, at the cost of the money brought by other members.
• Hype without facts. Frauds can cheer up their victims from time to time, using claims about non-existent events. “We got contracts with Coinbase”, “Elon Musk mentioned us as the most prolific crypto project” – you could likely hear something like that. This is made to make people believe in their money return. This can be the sauce to make people top-up their accounts once again.
• Crypto-only incoming payments. Whether the user tries to top-up the account, hackers will only accept payments in crypto – no bank transfers or other payment methods. Such an approach completely hides the identity of the company and deprives you of the ability to ask for a refund.
• Claims are too good to be true. Let’s be sane and sober: even in crypto space, there are not many places where you can earn 50-100-200%. Being able to participate in all of them is nearly impossible, as well as it is impossible to insure or hedge all the risks. Even by that reason alone I can tell that the Corteex is a definite scam.

What Should I do as a Victim?

If you had to deal with Corteex 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.

• Immediate Reporting. Your initial step should involve promptly notifying local authorities specializing in financial fraud. Extend your reach by reaching out to wallet providers and engaging with social networks’ technical support teams. These actions serve to raise the bar for the scammers’ operations.
• Share among Friends. Amplify your efforts by informing your close friends about the scam. Similar to informing authorities, this dissemination of information restricts the scammers’ potential victim pool.
• Preserve Crucial Information. Compile a comprehensive evidence archive by capturing screenshots and archiving all relevant website-related data. Collect the website URL, screenshots of the main page, login interface, end-user license agreement (EULA), account top-up menu, and wallet addresses. These records could provide vital clues for authorities in their pursuit of the scammers.
• Exploring Refund Options. While most banks’ refund policies may exclude cryptocurrency payments, it’s advisable to explore potential refund avenues under specific circumstances. Maintain hope until you obtain confirmation of the loss.
• Transform Loss into Knowledge. Turn your financial setback into an opportunity for growth. View your loss as an investment in understanding the strategies employed by crypto scam sites. Familiarize yourself with their telltale characteristics, the methods they employ to entice individuals, and the extravagant promises they make. Equipped with this insight, you’ll be well-prepared to spot and evade future traps without suffering additional financial setbacks.

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 scam, rascals may contact you with particular files. Alternatively, they may suggest you to deploy “cryptocurrency wallet applications” or “browser extensions” to streamline access to your cryptocurrency funds. As we already figured out, these scammers have no intent of restoring your money. So, what can these email messages and browser add-ons represent? Correct – this is another element of the scam designed to throw you into deliberately running destructive software onto your computer.

Both extensions and attachments included to emails can function as a carrier for various malicious code. In this case, I foresee the presence of spyware and stealers among all kinds of malware. While it is not mandatory for scammers to distribute malware, the likelihood is always above zero. As previously mentioned, their ethics is of negligible importance, and their dignity is already severely tarnished. They have no scruples to give up and strive to boost profits.

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 Corteex

Name: Corteex

Description: Cryptocurrency scams continue to increase as digital assets achieve mainstream adoption. A recent example of such a scam involves Corteex, a fraudulent crypto exchange that entices victims with promises of free crypto giveaways. This detailed article will extensively examine the operations of the Corteex 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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