Recently, Fancytrend.shop service surfaced, promoting itself as a place where you can safely keep cryptocurrency and other assets. I managed to gather reliable evidence that unmistakably indicates it is, in fact, a fraudulent platform.
Contrary to the statements of Fancytrend.shop, they won’t ever refund your money. Regardless of the money displayed in the “member area”, there is absolutely no ability to retrieve even a single coin. All pledges regarding crypto incentives are baseless as well.
Fancytrend Scam Overview
The primary service that Fancytrend aims to provide is a protected and convenient cryptocurrency wallet service. The website promises exchange services, tools for handling wallets, transfers, dashboards, and the like. In reality, they aim to emulate the functionality of a crypto marketplace, akin to Binance or Coinbase. However, it in fact only serves as a shell intended to lull the vigilance.
Initially, Fancytrend reproduces the design of multiple equivalent websites. There are quite a few examples, like Welobix, Teslaxpro or Snexon. They are totally indistinguishable in terms of visual elements, with minor discrepancies in the webpage header. Other specific elements, and at times even crypto wallet addresses, are unchanged. Presumably, all these fraudulent sites are led by a single group of frauds.
Cryptocurrency Scam Summary
| Website | Fancytrend.shop |
| Hosting | AS147008 Shenzhen Dianjiang Technology Co Ltd China, Shenzhen |
| IP Address | 103.172.191.1 |
| Threat Type | Scam/Fraud |
| Scam Type | Fraudulent offers of cryptocurrency services |
How the Fancytrend Scam Works?
Fancytrend is yet another webpage within a wide-ranging network of interconnected crypto fraudulent platforms. The operators employ different brand names and sites, like Fancytrend.shop, to trap victims. Nevertheless, these deceptive websites share the same website designs, terms of service, and About Us content. This reveals their sources as parts of the equal criminal network, which endorses the similar mode of scam under different disguises. The fraudsters merely copy the same scam site under different names to deceive users into believing they are enrolling a fresh platform. However, in reality, it’s the same system of fraudsters orchestrating the fraudulent promises and attempts to grab deposited funds. The managers shrewdly make use of psychological tactics and captivating invitations to execute their deceitful schemes.
Step 1: Spreading
To initiate 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 promotional campaign starts. Employing bots and paid promotions (when achievable), scam actors increase the exposure of their deceptive activities to possible victims. This strategy enables them to cast a wide net and connect with their aimed viewers. The audience usually consists of cryptocurrency enthusiastic individuals looking for chances to earn profits.
Users get an encouragement to enroll, enticed by the commitment of obtaining crypto benefits valued at thousands of dollars, all for free. To increase the appeal of the offer, fake claims of sponsorship by a celebrity are added. As you may guess, these assertions are completely baseless.
Step 2: Gaining Traffic
People who express interest visit Fancytrend.shop via links included in ads or robotic posts. The website utilizes captivating visuals, design aspects that appear legitimate, and claims of holding a valid license, all intended to present an initial perception of trustworthiness.
Step 3: Data Gathering
To collect their rewards, users are required to actively create an profile on Fancytrend and receive guidance to submit sensitive and private data during the registration procedure. This includes linking their cryptocurrency wallets, sharing email addresses, supplying phone numbers, sending in identification papers, and more.
Step 4: Requesting funds
Once registered, users notice significant amounts of cryptocurrency, valued at thousands of dollars, within their Fancytrend wallets. Nonetheless, as is typical with such bonuses, you are unable to withdraw them prior to making a deposit. Usually, a payment of $100 is asked to get the sign-up bonus. This prerequisite serves as the enticement that eventually leads to the money loss.
Step 5: Disappear
Signs of Scam
I gathered several facts that point at the scammy nature of the Fancytrend.shop. Actually, there are a lot of scams that fall under the same points, so they are pretty much universal.
- Absent company details. Fancytrend 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 Fancytrend 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 Fancytrend, 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 Fancytrend is a definite scam.
What Should I do as a Victim?
If you had to deal with Fancytrend 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 scam, its masters may get in touch with you with particular documents. Alternatively, they may offer you to set up “cryptocurrency wallet applications” or “browser extensions” to facilitate access to your crypto assets. As we earlier figured out, these deceivers have no intent of giving back your funds. So, what can these email messages and browser plugins represent? You guessed it right – this is another component of the fraudulent scheme designed to entice you into deliberately installing destructive software onto your device.
Both extensions and attachments added to email messages can function as a carrier for various malware. In this case, I foresee the presence of spyware and stealers among all kinds of malicious programs. While it is not mandatory for scammers to distribute malware, the chance is always significant. As stated, their ethics is of negligible importance, and their dignity is already neck deep in mud. They have nothing to lose and aim to maximize 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.
