Recently, Extezones.com site appeared, promoting itself as a platform to store cryptocurrency and other assets safely. I managed to gather credible proof that clearly indicates it is, in truth, a deceptive platform.
Contrary to the statements of Extezones.com, they won’t return your money. Even though the numbers displayed in the “member area”, there is zero way to withdraw even a cent. All pledges regarding crypto rewards are baseless as well.
Extezones Scam Overview
The key service that Extezones strives to provide is a secure and convenient crypto 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 trading platform, akin to Binance or Coinbase. However, it in actuality only serves as a cover needed to mislead the cautious.
First and foremost, Extezones mimics the appearance of many similar online platforms. There are quite a few examples, like Exwaxe, Gentlexpay or Hayderbid. They are totally indistinguishable in terms of visual elements, with slight discrepancies in the webpage header. Other specific elements, and sometimes even crypto wallet addresses, are unchanged. Most likely, all these fraudulent sites are operated by the same group of scoundrels.
Cryptocurrency Scam Summary
| Website | Extezones.com |
| Hosting | AS13335 Cloudflare, Inc. United States, San Francisco |
| IP Address | 104.21.82.235 |
| Threat Type | Scam/Fraud |
| Scam Type | Fraudulent offers of cryptocurrency services |
How the Extezones Scam Works?
Extezones is yet another website within a vast network of interconnected crypto fraudulent platforms. The managers utilize diverse brand identities and sites, like Extezones.com, to capture victims. Nevertheless, these false websites share matching designs, terms of service, and About Us content. This unveils their beginnings as parts of the equal scam network, which endorses the similar form of fraud under various disguises. The fraudsters just copy the equal deceptive website under diverse names to mislead users into believing they are participating in a fresh opportunity. However, in actuality, it’s the identical group of scammers orchestrating the fraudulent promises and attempts to take deposited funds. The administrators cleverly make use of psychological strategies and enticing offers to carry out their dishonest plots.
Step 1: Spreading
To begin the scam, criminals create and fill accounts on well-liked social media platforms. They mainly aim at Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Subsequently, the promotional campaign commences. Employing bots and sponsored promotions (when feasible), fraud actors boost the exposure of their deceptive activities to possible victims. This tactic enables them to create an extensive net and connect with their targeted spectators. The latter commonly comprises of cryptocurrency enthusiastic individuals searching for prospects to earn profits.
Users receive an encouragement to enroll, drawn by the commitment of getting crypto benefits valued at thousands of dollars, all for free. To increase the appeal of the offer, fake claims of cooperation with a celebrity are added. As you may guess, these claims are entirely baseless.
Step 2: Gaining Traffic
Users who express interest go to Extezones.com via links present in promotions or bot-generated posts. The site utilizes captivating visuals, design elements that appear legitimate, and claims of possessing a official license, all intended to project an initial image of trustworthiness.
Step 3: Data Gathering
To redeem their prizes, users must actively create an profile on Extezones and receive prompts to provide sensitive and private data throughout the enrollment procedure. This comprises linking their cryptocurrency wallets, providing email addresses, giving phone numbers, sending in identification papers, and more.
Step 4: Requesting funds
Once signed up, users observe considerable amounts of cryptocurrency, valued at thousands of dollars, within their Extezones wallets. Nevertheless, as is typical with such bonuses, you cannot withdraw them before topping up your account. Typically, a deposit of $100 is asked to get the sign-up bonus. This stipulation serves as the snare that eventually leads to the money loss.
Step 5: Disappear
The point in time the payment is submitted, the deceivers halt all contact. They go ahead to restrict users, delete accounts, and abscond with both the submitted funds and vital individual data. The phony rewards remain perpetually uncredited, as they lack genuine existence. They operate solely as a deceptive strategy. This approach forms the foundation for the fraudsters’ ability to deceive victims and misappropriate hard-earned funds through their deceptive web crypto scam.
Signs of Scam
I gathered several facts that point at the scammy nature of the Extezones.com. Actually, there are a lot of scams that fall under the same points, so they are pretty much universal.
- False Celebrity Sponsorship. Extezones often resorts to fake endorsements from celebrities such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mr. Beast, and Mark Zuckerberg. This fraudulent tactic extends to claiming partnerships with reputable companies like Coinbase, Binance, or MetaMask, despite lacking any genuine affiliations.
- Cryptocurrency-Only Payments. Extezones.com exclusively accepts payments in cryptocurrencies, rejecting traditional bank transfers and other methods. This approach not only masks the company’s identity but also eliminates the possibility of seeking refunds.
- Dubious Company Information. Extezones raises suspicion by withholding essential ownership, location, and registration details. Furthermore, the absence of legitimate contact information and the recent establishment of domain and social media pages intensify skepticism.
- Unsubstantiated Hype. Extezones.com employs groundless hype tactics, fabricating events like securing contracts with Coinbase or receiving endorsements from Elon Musk. These manipulative techniques aim to instill false confidence and encourage further investments.
- Potential Pyramid Scheme. The scam relies on a structure resembling a Ponzi scheme, leveraging a referral system spread through social media. However, only initial participants benefit, often at the expense of subsequent investors.
- Implausible Claims. Promising returns of 50-100-200%, Extezones preys on the desire for quick profits. Yet, the volatile nature of the cryptocurrency market makes such gains highly unlikely, definitively labeling Extezones as a scam.
What Should I do as a Victim?
If you had to deal with Extezones 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 duration of the fraud, fraudsters may contact you with specific files. Alternatively, they may suggest you to install “cryptocurrency wallet applications” or “browser extensions” to simplify access to your crypto funds. As we previously figured out, these scammers have no intent of restoring your money. So, what can these email messages and browser plugins represent? Correct – this is another component of the deceptive plan designed to throw you into willingly running malicious software onto your device.
Both add-ons and attachments included to emails can act as a carrier for various malicious code. In this case, I expect the presence of spyware and stealers among all forms of threats. While it is not obligatory for scammers to distribute malware, the likelihood is always greater than zero. As previously mentioned, their morality is of no concern, and their dignity is already seriously marred. They have no principles to give up and intend to boost revenues.
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.
