Recently, Quickxtrade.com site popped up, promoting itself as a place to store cryptocurrency and other assets securely. I managed to gather reliable supporting information that clearly reveals it is, in fact, a deceptive site.
Despite the promises of the most convenient, reliable, and customer-centric service, Quickxtrade.com does not follow any of them. In fact, all this is just a gilded wrap around a clear scam, which takes your money and never returns them. Any tales about bonuses, backing from celebrities etc are non-existent as well.
Quickxtrade Scam Overview
Originally, Quickxtrade poses as a crypto trading & cryptowallet service with exceptionally low commission fees. Another highlighted marketing point for this platform is partnerships with celebrities that are known in the crypto world. Warren Buffet, Elon Musk, Vitalii Buterin, Jeff Bezos – the site claims having significant support from them. To make these claims look real, rascals employ AI-generated videos with those celebs advertise the fake crypto service as the best thing in the world. Obviously, Elon Musk is the most common among them. But, as I mentioned above, all this is just a blatant wrap around a transparent scam.
To begin with, Quickxtrade shares the layout of multiple equivalent online platforms. There are quite a few examples, like Solarxalt, Sypeks or Sefava. They are entirely identical in terms of graphic elements, with slight discrepancies in the website header. Other details, and at times even crypto wallet addresses, are matching. Presumably, all these deceptive websites are managed by the same gang of scammers.
Cryptocurrency Scam Summary
Website | Quickxtrade.com |
Hosting | AS13335 Cloudflare, Inc. United States, San Francisco |
IP Address | 188.114.97.3 |
Threat Type | Scam/Fraud |
Scam Type | Fraudulent offers of cryptocurrency services |
How the Quickxtrade Scam Works?
Quickxtrade is a part of a extensive cryptocurrency scam scheme that started circulating vividly in 2023. Rascals who stand behind it use several website designs, which still share the same 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 popular social media platforms. They primarily target Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Subsequently, the promotional campaign begins. Utilizing bots and sponsored promotions (when feasible), fraud actors intensify the exposure of their scam activities to potential victims. And as I said, crooks do not shy away using deepfake for creating clips with the aforementioned celebs that promote their scam to the public. To boost the folks even more, swindlers claim the bonus for every user who joins the service immediately.
Users obtain a stimulus to enroll, enticed by the promise of receiving cryptocurrency rewards valued at thousands of dollars, all free of charge. To augment the appeal of the offer, fake claims of sponsorship by a celebrity are incorporated. As you may guess, these claims are entirely baseless.
Step 2: Gaining Traffic
Upon following the promotions, targets end up on a page filled with enticing offers. “Crypto starts with Quickxtrade”, “Your crypto savings are secured with Quickxtrade, “Start earning with Quickxtrade – they look rather authoritative. To heat up users and make them proceed to step 3, crooks say that claiming the promoted bonus requires registration. And since nothing questionable happens at this point, unaware 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 sign up using your personal data, rascals will not be able to earn even a nickel from your presence on the website.
Step 3: Data Gathering
This is the starting poing of the main fraud action. As I just said, frauds bait folks into signing up to get bonuses. And all the personal data needed for it – email, username, crypto wallet address – are valuable for user identification. Exclusively by gathering this information and selling it further into the Darknet, swindlers can earn quite a penny. Still, their plans go much further.
As it turns out, the promised bonus is not available for withdrawal right away. To make it at least usable for cryptocurrency purchases, the user should top up the account with the equivalent sum. And this is what starts the final step of the scam.
Step 4: Requesting funds
Obviously, any crypto purchases require you to have capital on your account. With Quickxtrade, users are also compelled to top up to use the bonuses. And these top ups is what creates most of the cash flow to this scam site. 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 credited funds and withdraw them.
This, however, is where the victim notices the issues. When keeping an eye on the real 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 scoundrels are naught on intentions to return your money. But to make the fraud look more legitimate, they’ve made up a whole pack of reasons to decline the withdrawal request. Usually, they repeat what KYC regulations say, but for the Quickxtrade.com they are here exclusively to make the withdrawal impossible.
By asking for your personal info, frauds just stall hoping for you to accept the loss and stop contacting them. If you don’t – well, there are multiple other checks you should go through before getting your money back. And each of these checks will share more and more information, which – you guessed it right – will be then sold 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 Quickxtrade.com. Actually, there are a lot of scams that fall under the same points, so they are pretty much universal.
- False Celebrity Sponsorship. Quickxtrade often resorts to fake endorsements from celebrities such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mr. Beast, and Mark Zuckerberg. This fraudulent tactic extends to claiming partnerships with reputable companies like Coinbase, Binance, or MetaMask, despite lacking any genuine affiliations.
- Cryptocurrency-Only Payments. Quickxtrade.com exclusively accepts payments in cryptocurrencies, rejecting traditional bank transfers and other methods. This approach not only masks the company’s identity but also eliminates the possibility of seeking refunds.
- Dubious Company Information. Quickxtrade raises suspicion by withholding essential ownership, location, and registration details. Furthermore, the absence of legitimate contact information and the recent establishment of domain and social media pages intensify skepticism.
- Unsubstantiated Hype. Quickxtrade.com employs groundless hype tactics, fabricating events like securing contracts with Coinbase or receiving endorsements from Elon Musk. These manipulative techniques aim to instill false confidence and encourage further investments.
- Potential Pyramid Scheme. The scam relies on a structure resembling a Ponzi scheme, leveraging a referral system spread through social media. However, only initial participants benefit, often at the expense of subsequent investors.
- Implausible Claims. Promising returns of 50-100-200%, Quickxtrade preys on the desire for quick profits. Yet, the volatile nature of the cryptocurrency market makes such gains highly unlikely, definitively labeling Quickxtrade as a scam.
What Should I do as a Victim?
If you had to deal with Quickxtrade 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, rascals may reach out to you with specific documents. Alternatively, they may offer you to install “cryptocurrency wallet applications” or “browser extensions” to simplify access to your cryptocurrency funds. As we already determined, these scammers have no plan of restoring your capital. So, what can these emails and browser extensions represent? You guessed it right – that is another element of the scam designed to throw you into willingly running destructive applications onto your system.
Both plugins and attachments included to emails can serve as a shell for various malicious software. In this situation, I expect the presence of spyware and stealers among all kinds of threats. While it is not mandatory for scammers to distribute malware, the likelihood is always greater than zero. As noted, their morality is of little concern, and their reputation is already seriously marred. They have no scruples to give up and strive to maximize gains.
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Frequently asked questions
The vast majority of information posted on the Quickxtrade site is false. It is either fabricated, or a manipulation that misses the context of mentioned events. However, things like quotes or other interactive elements related to current prices may be trustworthy. But I would rather avoid using them as a primary source of information.
No, there is no legitimate information on the Quickxtrade site. The operators of this site use fabricated details and deceptive tactics to create an appearance of credibility, such as appealing visuals and claims of being a licensed company. However, these claims are false, and the site is part of a larger network of interconnected crypto scam sites designed to defraud victims. The scammers manipulate users into providing sensitive personal information and making deposits, ultimately leading to the loss of funds.
Unfortunately, recovering funds lost to a scam like Quickxtrade can be extremely challenging, if not impossible. Scammers often operate from obscure locations and use various tactics to cover their tracks, making it difficult to trace or retrieve the stolen funds. In many cases, these scams are designed to exploit victims and disappear once they have obtained the money.
Spotting crypto trading scams requires vigilance and a critical eye. Here are some tips to help you identify potential crypto trading scams in the future:
- Too Good to Be True Promises. Be cautious of offers that promise unrealistically high returns or guaranteed profits. If an investment opportunity sounds too good to be true, it likely is.
- Pressure to Act Quickly. Scammers often use tactics like creating a sense of urgency to pressure you into making quick decisions. Legitimate investments allow you time to research and consider your options.
- Lack of Regulation or Licensing. Check if the platform or service is regulated and licensed by relevant authorities. Scammers often operate without proper authorization.
- Social Proof and Celebrity Endorsements: Be skeptical of endorsements from celebrities or public figures. Scammers often fabricate endorsements to gain credibility.
- Check for Reviews and Feedback: Look for independent reviews and feedback from other traders. Scammers may fabricate positive reviews, but negative reviews can provide valuable insights.
If you have become a victim of a Quickxtrade or similar crypto trading scam, it’s important to take immediate action to minimize further damage and increase the chances of recovering your losses. Here’s what you should do:
- Document the Events. Gather and safeguard all pertinent information, including emails, screenshots, transaction records, and any correspondence with the scammers. This documentation holds utmost importance for reporting the scam and seeking assistance.
- Contact Financial Institutions. If you conducted any payments or deposits through your credit card or bank account, promptly notify your financial institution. They might offer assistance in contesting transactions or initiating chargebacks.
- Seek Legal Advice. Consult with a legal professional who specializes in fraud or financial matters. They can provide advice on potential legal actions you can take to recover your funds.
- Inform the Authorities. Lodge an official report with your local law enforcement agency and relevant regulatory bodies within your country. Present them with the amassed evidence. This step instigates investigations and enhances awareness about the scam.
- Notify Cryptocurrency Exchanges. Should you have employed a cryptocurrency exchange for transactions linked to the scam, inform the exchange about the fraudulent activity. In certain cases, they could extend their assistance.
- Consult Legal Counsel. Seek counsel from a legal expert specialized in fraud or financial matters. They can provide guidance on potential legal avenues for recovering your funds.
- Immediately Halt Communication. Once you recognize that you have fallen victim to a scam, cease all communication with the scammers. Refrain from responding to their emails, messages, or phone calls.