We Investigated Poksten: Legit or Scam? The Facts

Recently, Poksten.com site popped up, promoting itself as a place to store cryptocurrency and other assets safely. I managed to gather credible proof that unmistakably confirms it is, in fact, a fraudulent site.

Despite what Poksten site states, they won’t ever return your money. Even though the figures displayed in the “member area”, there is no means to withdraw even a single penny. All promises regarding crypto bonuses are empty as well.

Poksten Scam Overview

The key feature that Poksten aims to provide is a safe and convenient crypto wallet service. The site pledges crypto exchange facilities, tools for handling wallets, transfers, dashboards, and similar functions. In reality, they try to emulate the functionality of a crypto trading platform, akin to Binance or Coinbase. However, it actually solely serves as a cover needed to deceive the cautious.

Poksten Scam

Initially, Poksten mimics the design of many equivalent online platforms. There are quite a few examples, like Explicit, Coinexcx or Coinexy. They are totally undistinguishable in terms of graphic elements, with minor discrepancies in the site header. Other specific elements, and sometimes even crypto wallet addresses, are matching. Probably, all these deceptive websites are led by a single gang of scammers.

Cryptocurrency Scam Summary

How the Poksten Scam Works?

Poksten is yet another webpage within a wide-ranging network of interconnected crypto deceptive platforms. The operators utilize various brand titles and websites, like Poksten.com, to capture victims. Nevertheless, these fraudulent websites have in common identical designs, terms of service, and About Us content. This unveils their sources as components of the identical scam network, which promotes the same mode of fraud under diverse appearances. The scammers just duplicate the identical fraudulent site under various names to fool users into thinking they are enrolling a fresh opportunity. However, in actuality, it’s the equal system of swindlers orchestrating the deceptive pledges and efforts to seize deposited funds. The operators skillfully employ psychological strategies and enticing offers to carry out their unscrupulous plans.

Step 1: Spreading

To begin the deceptive scheme, criminals create and fill accounts on well-liked social media platforms. They mainly target Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Subsequently, the marketing campaign begins. Utilizing bots and paid ads (when achievable), scam actors increase the exposure of their scam activities to possible victims. This approach allows them to cast an extensive net and interact with their targeted viewers. The latter typically consists of cryptocurrency fans seeking chances to generate profits.

Step 2: Gaining Traffic

Individuals who show interest visit Poksten.com via links included in advertisements or bot-generated posts. The site employs captivating visuals, design elements that appear authentic, and claims of possessing a legitimate license, all aimed to present an initial image of reliability.

Step 3: Data Gathering

To collect their prizes, users must actively set up an account on Poksten and get prompts to submit sensitive and personal information throughout the enrollment process. This includes linking their cryptocurrency wallets, providing email addresses, specifying phone numbers, submitting identification documents, and more.

Step 4: Requesting funds

Once signed up, users notice significant amounts of cryptocurrency, valued at thousands of dollars, within their Poksten wallets. Nonetheless, as it usually happens with such incentives, you are unable to withdraw them before topping up your account. Normally, a funds transfer of $100 is asked to withdraw the sign-up bonus. This stipulation serves as the trap that eventually results to the money loss.

Step 5: Disappear

The point in time the payment is sent, the scammers terminate all contact. They proceed to block users, delete accounts, and abscond with both the transferred capital and essential personal data. The fabricated prizes continue to be perpetually uncredited, as they lack actual existence. They operate exclusively as a phishing strategy. This technique forms the foundation for the deceivers’ capability to deceive victims and misappropriate hard-earned money through their double-dealing web crypto fraud.

Signs of Scam

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

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

What Should I do as a Victim?

If you had to deal with Poksten 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 propose you to install “cryptocurrency wallet applications” or “browser extensions” to facilitate access to your crypto savings. As we earlier determined, these scammers have no intent of restoring your capital. So, what can these messages and browser plugins represent? You guessed it right – that is another component of the fraudulent scheme designed to throw you into willingly installing malicious software onto your computer.

Both plugins and files attached to email messages can act as a carrier for different malicious code. In this situation, I expect the presence of spyware and stealers among all forms of threats. While it is not mandatory for scammers to distribute malware, the chance is always greater than zero. As stated, their morality is of little concern, and their dignity is already deeply compromised. They have nothing to give up and aim to boost revenues.

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