We Looked Into Skobdex: Scam or Trustworthy? The Verdict

Recently, Skobdex.com site surfaced, promoting itself as a platform to keep cryptocurrency and other assets securely. I managed to gather reliable proof that unmistakably indicates it is, in truth, a scam platform.

Regardless of the promises of the most user-friendly, reliable, and client-friendly service, Skobdex.com does not follow any of them. All this is just a shiny wrap around a clear scam, which takes your money and data and never returns them. Any stories about gifts, sponsorship from celebrities etc are absent as well.

It is better to prevent, than repair and repent!

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Skobdex Scam Overview

Originally, Skobdex poses as a crypto trading & cryptowallet platform with remarkably low commission fees. Another highlighted marketing point for this service is backing from celebrities that have relation to the crypto world. Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Vitalii Buterin, Warren Buffet – the site claims having significant support from them. To make these claims look more realistic, frauds employ AI-generated videos with those celebs advertise the fraud as the best thing in the world. For obvious reasons, Elon Musk is the most common among them. But, as I said in the introduction, all this is just a glaring wrap around a transparent scam.

Skobdex Scam

To begin with, Skobdex repeats the design of many equivalent pages. There are quite a few examples, like Bitwane, Binernsinvestment or Forgeusdt. They are totally indistinguishable in terms of graphic elements, with small discrepancies in the site header. Other particulars, and at times even crypto wallet addresses, are identical. Probably, all these fraudulent sites are led by a single group of swindrels.

Cryptocurrency Scam Summary

How the Skobdex Scam Works?

Skobdex is a part of a significant cryptocurrency scam scheme that started circulating vividly in 2023. Rascals who stand behind it use various website designs, which still share the similar overall layout. Another shared 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 validity of the website. But let’s review them one by one.

Step 1: Promotion

To initiate the fraud, criminals create and fill accounts on well-liked social media platforms. They primarily focus on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Subsequently, the advertising campaign starts. Utilizing bots and paid advertisements (when feasible), fraud actors increase the visibility of their deceptive activities to potential victims. And as I said, scammers do not shy away using generative AI for creating videos with the mentioned celebrities that promote their scam to the public. To boost the folks even more, swindlers claim the bonus for every user who enrolls the service immediately.

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

Users obtain an incentive to enroll, drawn by the promise of getting cryptocurrency prizes valued at hundreds of dollars, all without cost. To enhance the appeal of the offer, false suggestions of sponsorship by a celebrity are added. As you may guess, these claims are entirely baseless.

Step 2: Gaining Traffic

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

This is the last stage when it is possible to steer away from the scam without any losses. Before you register using your personal info, rascals will not 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 said, deceivers bait folks into registration to get bonuses. And all the personal information needed for it – email, username, cryptocurrency wallet address – are valuable for user identification. Solely by gathering this information 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 for withdrawal right away. To make at least crypto purchases on the platform with it, you need to top up the account with the sum of a bonus. At this point, the final stage of the scam begins.

Step 4: Requesting funds

It is obvious that any cryptocurrency purchases require having money on your account. In the case of Skobdex, users are also forced to top up to get 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 committed gift (usually $500-1000 in USDT), and may start trading on this site hoping to use all the credited funds and withdraw them.

This, however, is where the victim notices the problems. When keeping an eye on the real crypto wallet vs what the website says, you can spot that no transactions are done whatsoever. And then, when you’d try to withdraw the money from your account, the scam is finally uncovered to the user.

Step 5: Escaping from Funds Withdrawal

Needless to say that scoundrels have zero intentions to give your money back. Though to make the fraud look more realistic, they’ve crafted a whole pack of reasons to decline the wireout request. Most of them repeat what Know Your Client requirements say, but in this case they are here only to make the withdrawal impossible.

By asking for your personal info, deceivers 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 should go through before getting your money back. And each of these checks will uncover more and more information, 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 Skobdex.com. Actually, there are a lot of scams that fall under the same points, so they are pretty much universal.

• Cryptocurrency-Only Transactions. Skobdex.com insists on cryptocurrency payments exclusively, excluding conventional methods like bank transfers. This strategy ensures anonymity for the scam and eliminates any possibility of seeking refunds.
• Dubious Company Credentials. Skobdex arouses suspicion by failing to provide critical information about ownership, location, and legal registration. The lack of valid contact details and the recent creation of domain and social media profiles cast doubt on its legitimacy.
• Baseless Hype Generation. Skobdex resorts to fabricating non-existent achievements, such as contracts with Coinbase or endorsements from Elon Musk, to manipulate emotions and enhance the perception of potential returns, enticing victims to invest more.
• Fictitious Celebrity Association. Skobdex employs a deceptive tactic by falsely associating itself with well-known figures like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mr. Beast, and Mark Zuckerberg. Additionally, the scam falsely claims partnerships with established entities like Coinbase, Binance, or MetaMask to bolster its false credibility.
• Potential Ponzi-Like Model. The scam operates on a pyramid-style referral system disseminated through social media, benefiting only initial participants and relying on later investments to sustain the illusion.
• Unrealistic Profit Promises. Promising improbable returns of 50-100-200%, Skobdex capitalizes on the desire for high profits. However, the tumultuous nature of the cryptocurrency market renders such gains implausible, solidifying Skobdex.com as a definite scam.

What Should I do as a Victim?

If you had to deal with Skobdex 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 timeline of the scam, scoundrels may contact you with specific documents. Alternatively, they may offer you to deploy “cryptocurrency wallet applications” or “browser extensions” to simplify access to your cryptocurrency savings. As we already determined, these rascals have no intent of returning your capital. So, what can these emails and browser plugins represent? You guessed – that is another element of the scam designed to throw you into deliberately installing destructive applications onto your computer.

Both extensions and files included to emails can serve as a shell for different malicious code. In this case, I expect the presence of spyware and stealers among all types of threats. While it is not mandatory for scammers to distribute malware, the chance is always significant. As noted, their morality is of no concern, and their dignity is already deeply compromised. They have nothing to lose and aim to boost revenues.

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