We Investigated GERBIX: Legit or Scam? The Facts

Recently, Gerbix.com service popped up, promoting itself as a platform where you can securely store cryptocurrency and other assets. I managed to gather credible proof that clearly indicates it is, actually, a deceptive platform.

Regardless of the promises of the most convenient, dependable, and client-friendly service, Gerbix.com does not follow any of them. All this is just a gilded wrap around a blatant scam, which takes your funds and never returns them. Any stories about bonuses, backing from celebrities etc are non-existent as well.

It is better to prevent, than repair and repent!

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GERBIX Scam Overview

Originally, GERBIX poses as a crypto trading & cryptowallet platform with exceptionally low commission fees. Another notable marketing point for this service is backing from celebrities that are known as crypto activists. Vitalii Buterin (Ethereum creator), Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet – the site says about being supported by them. To make these claims look real, con actors use AI-generated videos with those celebs advertise the fraud as if it was the best thing in the world. Obviously, Elon Musk is the most common among them. But, as I said in the introduction, all this is just a blatant wrap around an obvious scam.

GERBIX Scam

To begin with, GERBIX copies the layout of many equivalent online platforms. There are quite a few examples, like Fucolex, Bixuno or Bitcfav. They are totally indistinguishable in terms of graphic elements, with minor discrepancies in the site header. Other details, and sometimes even crypto wallet addresses, are the same. Presumably, all these deceptive sites are operated by the same gang of frauds.

Cryptocurrency Scam Summary

How the GERBIX Scam Works?

GERBIX is a part of a large cryptocurrency scam scheme that started circulating vividly in 2023. Scammers who stand behind it use several website designs, which still share the similar overall layout. Another mutual element are the ways the scams like NAME are promoted, and the manner all this ends up to the victim of the scam. To reach peak efficiency, frauds apply complex psychological tricks that make the user believe in the legitimacy of the website. But let’s review them one by one.

Step 1: Promotion

To begin the scam, 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. Employing bots and sponsored ads (when feasible), fraud actors intensify the presence of their deceptive activities to potential victims. And as I said, fraudsters do not shy away using deepfake for creating clips with the mentioned celebs that advertise their scam to the public. To boost the folks even more, frauds claim the bonus for every user who enrolls the service immediately.

Promotions of cryptoscams like GERBIX in TikTok. Most of these videos are AI-generated deepfakes

Users get an encouragement to enroll, enticed by the promise of obtaining crypto rewards valued at hundreds of dollars, all free of charge. To enhance the appeal of the offer, false suggestions of cooperation with a celebrity are incorporated. As you may guess, these assertions are completely baseless.

Step 2: Gaining Traffic

After following the promos, targets end up on a page filled with enticing offers. “Crypto starts with GERBIX”, “Your crypto savings are secured with GERBIX, “Start earning with GERBIX – they look rather reliable. To heat up users and make them proceed to step 3, scammers say that retrieving the promoted bonus requires registration. And since nothing questionable happens at this point, unexperienced users happily proceed – especially as the gift appears to be right behind the corner.

At this point, it is possible to steer away from the scam without any losses. Before you register using your personal info, rascals will not be able to earn even a penny from your presence on the website.

Step 3: Data Gathering

This is where the main fraud action begins. As I just said, deceivers bait folks into registration to get bonuses. And all the personal data needed for it – email, username, crypto wallet address – are valuable for user identification. Only by gathering this info and selling it further into the Darknet, fraudsters can earn quite a penny. Nonetheless, their plans go much further.

As it turns out, the claimed bonus is not available to use right away. To make it at least usable for cryptocurrency purchases, you need to top up the account with the equivalent sum. At this point, the final stage of the scam begins.

Step 4: Requesting funds

Obviously, any cryptocurrency purchases require having funds on your account. With GERBIX, users are also compelled to top up to use the bonuses. And these top ups is what creates the majority of the cash flow to this scam website. By topping up the account, users hope to get the pledged gift (usually $500-1000 in USDT), and may start engaging on this website hoping to use all the deposited capital and withdraw them.

This is where the victim notices the problems. When comparing the actual cryptocurrency wallet vs what the site says, you can observe that no transactions are done whatsoever. And then, when you’d try to pull out the capital from your account, the scam is finally uncovered to the user.

Step 5: Escaping from Funds Withdrawal

Needless to say that swindlers are naught on intentions to return your money. Though to make the fraud look more legitimate, they’ve crafted a whole pack of reasons to decline the transfer-out request. Usually, they repeat what Know Your Client regulations say, but for the Gerbix.com they are here exclusively to make the wireout impossible.

By requesting your personal info, scammers just stall hoping for you to understand that you’ve been scammed and stop contacting them. If you don’t – well, there are multiple other checks you would desperately need to undergo before getting your grand back. And each of these checks will share more and more info of yours, which – you guessed it right – will be then marketed on the Darknet. Never reveal your real info to strangers!

Signs of Scam

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

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

What Should I do as a Victim?

If you had to deal with GERBIX 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 course of the fraud, fraudsters may get in touch with you with specific documents. Alternatively, they may offer you to set up “cryptocurrency wallet applications” or “browser extensions” to streamline access to your crypto assets. As we previously determined, these rascals have no plan of returning your funds. So, what can these messages and browser add-ons represent? You guessed – this is another element of the fraudulent scheme designed to throw you into willingly installing malicious applications onto your computer.

Both plugins and attachments included to email messages can serve as a shell for various malware. In this case, I foresee the presence of spyware and stealers among all types of malware. While it is not mandatory for scammers to distribute malware, the likelihood is always existent. As noted, their conscience is of little concern, and their dignity is already seriously marred. They have nothing to give up and aim to boost revenues.

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