We Looked Into Facexel: Scam or Trustworthy? The Verdict

Recently, Facexel.com service appeared, promoting itself as a platform where you can securely keep cryptocurrency and other assets. I managed to gather credible evidence that clearly indicates it is, actually, a deceptive platform.

Despite what Facexel site says, they won’t pay off your funds. Despite the numbers displayed in the “member area”, there is zero way to retrieve even a coin. All commitments regarding crypto incentives 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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Facexel Scam Overview

The key service that Facexel aims to provide is a safe and user-friendly crypto wallet service. The site pledges exchange services, tools for managing wallets, transfers, dashboards, and the like. In fact, they endeavor to emulate the functionality of a crypto trading platform, akin to Binance or Coinbase. However, it actually exclusively serves as a shell intended to mislead the cautious.

Facexel Scam

First and foremost, Facexel mimics the layout of numerous equivalent websites. There are quite a few examples, like Coinxleak, Rompwex or Merckex. They are entirely undistinguishable in terms of graphic elements, with small discrepancies in the website header. Other particulars, and at times even crypto wallet addresses, are unchanged. Probably, all these deceptive sites are operated by a single group of swindrels.

Cryptocurrency Scam Summary

How the Facexel Scam Works?

Facexel is yet another website within a vast network of linked crypto deceptive sites. The operators employ diverse brand identities and websites, like Facexel.com, to ensnare victims. Nonetheless, these deceptive websites have in common identical designs, terms of service, and About Us information. This exposes their beginnings as parts of the equal criminal network, which promotes the identical form of deception under diverse disguises. The fraudsters merely copy the same scam site under diverse names to fool users into thinking they are participating in a fresh opportunity. However, in reality, it’s the equal system of scammers orchestrating the misleading promises and undertakings to seize deposited funds. The operators skillfully utilize psychological maneuvers and enticing offers to implement their dishonest plans.

Step 1: Spreading

To initiate the deceptive scheme, criminals set up and fill accounts on well-liked social media platforms. They generally focus on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Subsequently, the promotional campaign starts. Utilizing bots and paid promotions (when possible), fraud actors intensify the presence of their fraudulent activities to possible victims. This approach permits them to create an extensive net and interact with their aimed spectators. The latter commonly comprises of cryptocurrency enthusiasts searching for opportunities to earn profits.

Users receive a stimulus to register, attracted by the commitment of receiving crypto benefits valued at thousands of dollars, all free of charge. To increase the attractiveness of the offer, false claims of cooperation with a celebrity are incorporated. As you may guess, these assertions are entirely baseless.

Step 2: Gaining Traffic

Individuals who demonstrate interest go to Facexel.com via links featured in promotions or bot-generated posts. The site utilizes captivating visuals, design elements that appear genuine, and claims of possessing a valid license, all intended to convey an initial image of trustworthiness.

Step 3: Data Gathering

To redeem their benefits, users are required to proactively sign up on Facexel and receive guidance to submit sensitive and private data throughout the sign-up process. This comprises linking their cryptocurrency wallets, providing email addresses, giving phone numbers, sending in identification papers, and more.

Step 4: Requesting funds

Once registered, users observe significant amounts of cryptocurrency, valued at thousands of dollars, within their Facexel wallets. Nevertheless, as is common with such rewards, you cannot withdraw them before making a deposit. Normally, a deposit of $100 is required to withdraw the sign-up bonus. This prerequisite serves as the trap that eventually results to the money loss.

Step 5: Disappear

The moment the payment is made, the scammers cease all interaction. They go ahead to restrict users, remove accounts, and disappear with both the transferred funds and vital personal information. The fabricated rewards remain perpetually uncredited, as they lack actual existence. They function exclusively as a fraudulent strategy. This approach forms the foundation for the fraudsters’ capacity to mislead victims and misappropriate hard-earned money through their double-dealing internet-based crypto scam.

Signs of Scam

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

• Absent company details. Facexel 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 Facexel 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 Facexel, 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 Facexel is a definite scam.

What Should I do as a Victim?

If you had to deal with Facexel 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, its masters may reach out to 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 deceivers have no intent of restoring your money. So, what do these email messages and browser extensions represent? You guessed it right – that is another component of the fraudulent scheme designed to throw you into willingly running destructive software onto your system.

Both plugins and files included to email messages can act as a shell for different malicious software. In this case, I expect the presence of spyware and stealers among all types of threats. While it is not mandatory for scammers to distribute malware, the likelihood is always existent. As stated, their conscience is of negligible importance, and their reputation is already seriously marred. They have nothing 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.

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