Recently, Receivemask.com site appeared, promoting itself as a place to store cryptocurrency and other assets securely. I managed to gather credible proof that unmistakably confirms it is, in truth, a deceptive service.
Regardless of the promises of the most convenient, reliable, and client-friendly service, Receivemask.com does not follow any of them. In fact, all this is just a gilded wrap around a clear scam, which steals your funds and never returns them. Any stories about gifts, sponsorship from celebrities etc are absent as well.
Receivemask Scam Overview
Originally, Receivemask poses as a crypto trading & cryptowallet service with outstandingly low commission fees. Another highlighted selling point for this platform is partnerships with celebrities that are known as crypto activists. Vitalii Buterin (Ethereum creator), Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet – the site claims having significant support from them. To make these claims look real, frauds employ AI-generated videos with those celebs advertise the fraud as if it was the best thing in the world. For obvious reasons, Elon Musk is the most common choise for that. But, as I said in the introduction, all this is just a glaring wrap around an obvious scam.
First and foremost, Receivemask repeats the design of numerous similar pages. There are quite a few examples, like Ultracoinstrade, Sunxtoken or Nowpacex. They are entirely identical in terms of graphic elements, with minor discrepancies in the site header. Other details, and sometimes even crypto wallet addresses, are matching. Most likely, all these fraudulent sites are operated by a single group of frauds.
Cryptocurrency Scam Summary
Website | Receivemask.com |
Hosting | AS13335 Cloudflare, Inc. United States, San Francisco |
IP Address | 104.21.73.116 |
Threat Type | Scam/Fraud |
Scam Type | Fraudulent offers of cryptocurrency services |
How the Receivemask Scam Works?
Receivemask is a part of a large cryptocurrency scam scheme that started circulating actively in 2023. Rascals 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 sophisticated 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 start the scam, criminals establish and fill accounts on popular social media platforms. They primarily target Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Subsequently, the marketing campaign begins. Utilizing bots and sponsored advertisements (when achievable), scam actors increase the visibility of their fraudulent activities to potential victims. And as I said, fraudsters do not shy away using generative AI 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 registers the service immediately.
Users obtain a stimulus to register, attracted by the commitment of getting crypto prizes valued at thousands of dollars, all for free. To enhance the appeal of the offer, fake claims of cooperation with a celebrity are incorporated. As you may guess, these claims are entirely baseless.
Step 2: Gaining Traffic
Upon clicking the ads, users end up on a page filled with appealing offers. “Crypto starts with Receivemask”, “Your crypto savings are secured with Receivemask, “Start earning with Receivemask – they look rather credible. To heat up the interest and make the users proceed to step 3, crooks say that retrieving the pledged bonus requires registration. And as nothing questionable happens at this point, uninformed users happily keep on – especially since the gift appears to be right behind the corner.
This is the last stage when it is possible to skip the scam without any losses. Before you sign up using your personal information, crooks will not be able to earn even a penny from your presence on the website.
Step 3: Data Gathering
This is the starting poing of the main fraud action. As I just mentioned, scammers bait folks into registration to get bonuses. And all the personal info needed for it – email, username, cryptocurrency wallet address – are valuable for user identification. Only by gathering this information and selling it further into the Darknet, swindlers can earn quite a penny. Nonetheless, their plans go much further.
As it turns out, you cannot use the alleged bonus right away. To make it at least usable for cryptocurrency purchases, the user should top up the account with the equivalent sum. At this point, the final stage of the scam kicks in.
Step 4: Requesting funds
Obviously, any cryptocurrency operations require you to have funds on your account. With Receivemask, users are also forced to top up to claim the bonuses. And these top ups is what creates the majority of the money flow to this fraudulent site. By topping up the account, users hope to get the pledged gift (usually $500-1000 in USDT), and may start trading on this site hoping to use all the deposited money and withdraw them.
This, however, is where the problems start to surface. When comparing the real crypto wallet vs what the site says, you can spot that no transactions are done whatsoever. And then, when you’d try to withdraw the capital from your account, the scam is finally uncovered to the user.
Step 5: Escaping from Funds Withdrawal
There’s no need to explain that fraudsters are naught on intentions to give your money back. Though to make the denial look more realistic, they’ve developed a whole bunch of reasons to decline the transfer-out request. Usually, they repeat what Know Your Client guidelines say, but in this case they are here only to make the wireout impossible.
By asking for your personal data, frauds just stall hoping for you to accept the loss and stop contacting them. If you don’t – well, there are a dozen other checks you would desperately need to undergo before getting your grand back. And every check will reveal more and more info of yours, 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 Receivemask.com. Actually, there are a lot of scams that fall under the same points, so they are pretty much universal.
- Unsubstantiated Credibility. Receivemask 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%, Receivemask exploits the longing for quick profits. However, such gains are unrealistic within the volatile cryptocurrency landscape, unequivocally identifying Receivemask as a scam.
- Dubious Corporate Information. Receivemask 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. Receivemask.com 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. Receivemask 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 Receivemask 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 timeline of the fraud, rascals may get in touch with you with specific documents. Alternatively, they may offer you to install “cryptocurrency wallet applications” or “browser extensions” to streamline access to your cryptocurrency assets. As we previously figured out, these rascals have no plan of restoring your capital. So, what can these email messages and browser add-ons represent? Correct – that is another element of the deceptive plan designed to throw you into deliberately running harmful software onto your device.
Both plugins and files included to emails can act as a shell for different malicious software. In this case, I anticipate the presence of spyware and stealers among all kinds of malware. While it is not obligatory for scammers to distribute malware, the probability is always significant. As previously mentioned, their conscience is of no concern, and their dignity is already seriously marred. They have no scruples to give up and strive to maximize revenues.
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Frequently asked questions
The vast majority of information posted on the Receivemask 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 Receivemask 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 Receivemask 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:
- Question Unrealistic Promises. Approach offers that promise unrealistically high returns or guaranteed profits with caution. If an investment opportunity sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- Scrutinize Celebrity Endorsements. Exercise skepticism when encountering endorsements from celebrities or public figures. Scammers often create fabricated endorsements to enhance their credibility.
- Verify Regulation and Licensing. Investigate whether the platform or service holds proper regulation and licenses from relevant authorities. Scammers frequently operate without legitimate authorization.
- Consult Reviews and Feedback. Seek out independent reviews and feedback from other traders. Positive reviews can be falsified, but negative reviews may offer valuable insights.
- Resist Urgency. Be wary of tactics that use a false sense of urgency to rush your decisions. Legitimate investments provide the necessary time for thorough research and contemplation.
If you have become a victim of a Receivemask 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:
- Cease Communication. If you realize that you’ve been scammed, stop all communication with the scammers. Do not respond to their emails, messages, or calls.
- Document Everything. Gather and preserve all relevant information, including emails, screenshots, transaction records, and any communication you had with the scammers. This documentation will be crucial for reporting the scam and seeking assistance.
- Report to Authorities. File a report with your local law enforcement agency and any relevant regulatory authorities in your country. Provide them with all the evidence you have gathered. This helps initiate investigations and raises awareness about the scam.
- Contact Financial Institutions. If you made any payments or deposits using your credit card or bank account, contact your financial institution immediately. They may be able to help you with disputing transactions or initiating a chargeback.
- 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.
- Notify Cryptocurrency Exchanges. If you used a cryptocurrency exchange to make transactions related to the scam, notify the exchange about the fraudulent activity. They may be able to assist you in some cases.
- Monitor Your Accounts. Keep a close eye on your financial and online accounts for any suspicious activity. Change passwords and enable two-factor authentication wherever possible.