Recently, Hanbitco.us service surfaced, promoting itself as a platform to keep cryptocurrency and other assets securely. I managed to gather credible evidence that clearly reveals it is, in fact, a scam service.
Despite what Hanbitco site says, they won’t ever give back your funds. Despite the numbers displayed in the “member area”, there is zero way to take out even a coin. All promises regarding crypto incentives are baseless as well.
Hanbitco Scam Overview
The key service that Hanbitco aims to provide is a secure and convenient cryptocurrency wallet service. The website pledges crypto exchange services, tools for managing wallets, transfers, dashboards, and alike functions. In fact, they aim to emulate the functionality of a crypto trading platform, like Binance or Coinbase. However, it in fact solely serves as a cover needed to mislead the cautious.
Hanbitco Scam
Initially, Hanbitco reproduces the design of multiple similar pages. There are quite a few examples, like Bittrom, Bitflaxe or Crypto. They are entirely undistinguishable in terms of visual elements, with small discrepancies in the webpage header. Other details, and sometimes even crypto wallet addresses, are identical. Most likely, all these fraudulent sites are led by the same team of frauds.
Cryptocurrency Scam Summary
| Website | Hanbitco.us |
| Hosting | AS63949 Akamai Connected Cloud United States, Richardson |
| IP Address | 96.126.123.244 |
| Threat Type | Scam/Fraud |
| Scam Type | Fraudulent offers of cryptocurrency services |
How the Hanbitco Scam Works?
Hanbitco is yet another webpage within a vast network of associated crypto deceptive sites. The managers employ diverse brand names and sites, like Hanbitco.us, to ensnare victims. However, these false sites share the same designs, terms of service, and About content. This exposes their sources as parts of the identical fraudulent network, which advocates the same mode of scam under different appearances. The deceivers simply copy the equal fraudulent site under different names to mislead users into thinking they are joining a fresh platform. However, in reality, it’s the identical group of swindlers orchestrating the misleading promises and attempts to seize deposited money. The operators shrewdly employ psychological tactics and appealing invitations to carry out their dishonest plans.
Step 1: Spreading
To start the deceptive scheme, criminals create and fill accounts on popular social media platforms. They mainly aim at Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Subsequently, the marketing campaign commences. Employing bots and paid promotions (when feasible), fraud actors boost the exposure of their deceptive activities to possible victims. This approach permits them to cast a wide net and interact with their focused spectators. This audience usually comprises of cryptocurrency fans searching for chances to earn profits.
Step 2: Gaining Traffic
Users who show interest go to Hanbitco.us via links included in ads or robotic posts. The webpage uses captivating visuals, design features that appear authentic, and assertions of holding a valid license, all intended to present an initial perception of reliability.
Step 3: Data Gathering
To redeem their benefits, users need to deliberately set up an profile on Hanbitco and receive guidance to submit sensitive and personal data throughout the enrollment procedure. This includes linking their cryptocurrency wallets, sharing email addresses, specifying phone numbers, furnishing identification documents, and more.
Step 4: Requesting funds
Once registered, users observe substantial amounts of cryptocurrency, valued at thousands of dollars, within their Hanbitco wallets. Nonetheless, as it usually happens with such rewards, you can’t withdraw them prior to topping up your account. Usually, a payment of $100 is required to withdraw the sign-up bonus. This prerequisite serves as the snare that ultimately culminates to the money loss.
Step 5: Disappear
Signs of Scam
I gathered several facts that point at the scammy nature of the Hanbitco.us. Actually, there are a lot of scams that fall under the same points, so they are pretty much universal.
- Unsubstantiated Credibility. Hanbitco employs fraudulent celebrity endorsements, often featuring names like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mr. Beast, and Mark Zuckerberg. These false claims extend to fictitious partnerships with reputable entities like Coinbase, Binance, or MetaMask, despite the absence of genuine connections.
- Implausible Earnings Claims. Promising remarkable returns of 50-100-200%, Hanbitco exploits the longing for quick profits. However, such gains are unrealistic within the volatile cryptocurrency landscape, unequivocally identifying Hanbitco as a scam.
- Dubious Corporate Information. Hanbitco arouses suspicion by providing inadequate documentation about ownership, location, and registration. Furthermore, the lack of legitimate contact information and the recent registration of domain and social media profiles deepen skepticism.
- Exclusive Cryptocurrency Payments. Hanbitco.us solely accepts payments in cryptocurrencies, refraining from traditional bank transfers and other payment methods. This approach not only shrouds the company’s identity but also prevents the possibility of requesting refunds.
- Potential Pyramid Scheme. The scam relies on a Ponzi-like referral structure disseminated through social media. Nevertheless, only initial participants profit, often at the expense of funds brought in by subsequent members.
- Groundless Hype Tactics. Hanbitco utilizes fabricated claims about non-existent events, such as securing contracts with Coinbase or receiving endorsements from Elon Musk. This manipulative strategy aims to foster belief in money returns and encourages individuals to top up their accounts again.
What Should I do as a Victim?
If you had to deal with Hanbitco 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.
- Secure Your Actions. Begin by promptly reporting the scam to appropriate local authorities tasked with handling financial fraud. Notify wallet providers and engage with social networks’ technical support teams. By taking these measures, you contribute to making the scammers’ operations significantly more difficult.
- Expand Awareness. Extend your efforts by sharing the scam information with your close friends. This action has a parallel effect to reporting to the authorities, as disseminating details about fraudulent crypto services reduces the potential victims they can deceive.
- Gather Evidence. Preserve comprehensive evidence by capturing screenshots and saving all pertinent data linked to the deceptive website. Collect the URL, screenshots of the main page, login interface, end-user license agreement (EULA), account top-up menu, and wallet addresses. These materials could prove invaluable for authorities in their pursuit of the scammers.
- Explore Refund Possibilities. While cryptocurrency payments generally fall outside the scope of refund policies within most banks, it’s worth investigating the potential for a refund in specific circumstances. Maintain optimism until you definitively confirm the loss.
- Convert Mistake into Wisdom. Transform your financial setback into a valuable learning experience. Treat your loss as an investment in understanding the tactics of crypto scam sites. Familiarize yourself with their key characteristics, how they lure individuals, and the grandiose promises they make. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll be well-equipped to recognize and avoid falling into future traps without incurring further losses.
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 documents. Alternatively, they may propose you to install “cryptocurrency wallet applications” or “browser extensions” to facilitate access to your cryptocurrency savings. As we previously determined, these scammers have no intention of giving back your funds. So, what do these messages and browser plugins represent? Correct – this is another side of the deceptive plan designed to entice you into deliberately installing harmful programs onto your device.
Both plugins and attachments attached to email messages can serve as a carrier for different malicious code. In this scenario, I expect the presence of spyware and stealers among other forms of threats. While it is not obligatory for scammers to distribute malware, the chance is always existent. As stated, their ethics is of negligible importance, and their reputation is already severely tarnished. They have no scruples to give up and strive to boost revenues.
