Recently, Skyxtrade.com site surfaced, promoting itself as a platform where you can safely keep cryptocurrency and other assets. I managed to gather reliable evidence that clearly confirms it is, actually, a scam site.
Contrary to the claims of Skyxtrade.com, they will never pay off your money. Regardless of the figures displayed in the “member area”, there is absolutely no way to take out even a single penny. All commitments regarding crypto bonuses are baseless as well.
Skyxtrade Scam Overview
The primary service that Skyxtrade aims to provide is a protected and convenient cryptocurrency wallet service. The website pledges crypto exchange facilities, tools for controlling wallets, transfers, dashboards, and alike functions. In truth, they endeavor to emulate the functionality of a crypto marketplace, like Binance or Coinbase. However, it in actuality exclusively serves as a shell needed to lull the vigilance.
Skyxtrade Scam
First and foremost, Skyxtrade reproduces the layout of numerous equivalent pages. There are quite a few examples, like Skylarxbit, Skeplex or Shoulex. They are totally identical in terms of graphic elements, with minor discrepancies in the website header. Other specific elements, and sometimes even crypto wallet addresses, are unchanged. Most likely, all these scam websites are operated by a single group of swindrels.
Cryptocurrency Scam Summary
| Website | Skyxtrade.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 Skyxtrade Scam Works?
Skyxtrade is yet another website within a vast network of associated crypto deceptive webpages. The managers utilize various brand titles and websites, like Skyxtrade.com, to trap victims. However, these deceptive sites have in common identical website designs, terms of service, and About Us content. This reveals their sources as a part of the identical scam network, which endorses the same form of scam under various disguises. The scammers merely replicate the identical deceptive site under various names to deceive users into believing they are joining a new opportunity. However, in actuality, it’s the equal system of fraudsters orchestrating the deceptive pledges and attempts to seize deposited money. The managers cleverly make use of psychological maneuvers and appealing propositions to implement their deceitful schemes.
Step 1: Spreading
To initiate the deceptive scheme, criminals create and fill accounts on popular social media platforms. They generally focus on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Subsequently, the advertising campaign begins. Using bots and sponsored ads (when feasible), fraud actors increase the presence of their deceptive activities to possible victims. This tactic enables them to create a wide net and engage with their focused spectators. This audience usually comprises of cryptocurrency enthusiasts looking for chances to earn profits.
Users receive an incentive to enroll, attracted by the commitment of obtaining crypto rewards valued at hundreds of dollars, all free of charge. To increase the appeal of the offer, fake claims of sponsorship by a celebrity are incorporated. As you may guess, these assertions are entirely baseless.
Step 2: Gaining Traffic
Users who demonstrate interest visit Skyxtrade.com via links included in advertisements or robotic posts. The site employs captivating visuals, design elements that appear authentic, and claims of possessing a legitimate license, all aimed to project an initial perception of reliability.
Step 3: Data Gathering
To collect their benefits, users need to actively sign up on Skyxtrade and receive instructions to submit sensitive and private information during the registration process. This includes linking their cryptocurrency wallets, providing email addresses, supplying phone numbers, submitting identification documents, and more.
Step 4: Requesting funds
Once enrolled, users observe substantial amounts of cryptocurrency, valued at hundreds of dollars, within their Skyxtrade wallets. Nonetheless, as is common with such rewards, you can’t withdraw them before making a deposit. Normally, a payment of $100 is required to withdraw the sign-up bonus. This prerequisite serves as the enticement that ultimately culminates to the money loss.
Step 5: Disappear
The moment the payment is made, the deceivers cease all interaction. They move forward to bar users, remove accounts, and disappear with both the transferred funds and vital individual details. The fictitious benefits persist perpetually uncredited, as they lack actual existence. They act purely as a deceptive maneuver. This method forms the foundation for the scammers’ capacity to mislead victims and steal hard-earned funds through their duplicative web crypto scheme.
Signs of Scam
I gathered several facts that point at the scammy nature of the Skyxtrade.com. Actually, there are a lot of scams that fall under the same points, so they are pretty much universal.
- Cryptocurrency-Only Transactions. Skyxtrade.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. Skyxtrade 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. Skyxtrade 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. Skyxtrade 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%, Skyxtrade capitalizes on the desire for high profits. However, the tumultuous nature of the cryptocurrency market renders such gains implausible, solidifying Skyxtrade.com as a definite scam.
What Should I do as a Victim?
If you had to deal with Skyxtrade 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 timeline of the scam, rascals may contact you with specific files. Alternatively, they may offer you to install “cryptocurrency wallet applications” or “browser extensions” to streamline access to your cryptocurrency savings. As we earlier figured out, these scoundrels have no intention of restoring your funds. So, what do these email messages and browser add-ons represent? You guessed – that is another side of the fraudulent scheme designed to entice you into deliberately installing malicious applications onto your computer.
Both extensions and attachments included to email messages can function as a shell for various malicious code. In this case, I anticipate the presence of spyware and stealers among all types of malware. While it is not obligatory for scammers to distribute malware, the chance is always above zero. As noted, their conscience is of little concern, and their reputation is already neck deep in mud. They have no principles to give up and strive to boost gains.
Remove spyware with Gridinsoft Anti-Malware
We have also been using this software on our systems ever since, and it has always been successful in detecting viruses. It has blocked the most common malicious programs as shown from our tests with the software, and we assure you that it can remove spyware as well as other malware hiding on your computer.
To use Gridinsoft for remove malicious threats, follow the steps below:
1. Begin by downloading Gridinsoft Anti-Malware, accessible via the blue button below or directly from the official website gridinsoft.com.
2.Once the Gridinsoft setup file (setup-gridinsoft-fix.exe) is downloaded, execute it by clicking on the file.
3.Follow the installation setup wizard's instructions diligently.
4. Access the "Scan Tab" on the application's start screen and launch a comprehensive "Full Scan" to examine your entire computer. This inclusive scan encompasses the memory, startup items, the registry, services, drivers, and all files, ensuring that it detects malware hidden in all possible locations.
Be patient, as the scan duration depends on the number of files and your computer's hardware capabilities. Use this time to relax or attend to other tasks.
5. Upon completion, Anti-Malware will present a detailed report containing all the detected malicious items and threats on your PC.
6. Select all the identified items from the report and confidently click the "Clean Now" button. This action will safely remove the malicious files from your computer, transferring them to the secure quarantine zone of the anti-malware program to prevent any further harmful actions.
8. If prompted, restart your computer to finalize the full system scan procedure. This step is crucial to ensure thorough removal of any remaining threats. After the restart, Gridinsoft Anti-Malware will open and display a message confirming the completion of the scan.
Remember Gridinsoft offers a 6-day free trial. This means you can take advantage of the trial period at no cost to experience the full benefits of the software and prevent any future malware infections on your system. Embrace this opportunity to fortify your computer's security without any financial commitment.
Trojan Killer for “spyware” removal on locked PC
In situations where it becomes impossible to download antivirus applications directly onto the infected computer due to malware blocking access to websites, an alternative solution is to utilize the Trojan Killer application.
There is a really little number of security tools that are able to be set up on the USB drives, and antiviruses that can do so in most cases require to obtain quite an expensive license. For this instance, I can recommend you to use another solution of GridinSoft - Trojan Killer Portable. It has a 14-days cost-free trial mode that offers the entire features of the paid version. This term will definitely be 100% enough to wipe malware out.
Trojan Killer is a valuable tool in your cybersecurity arsenal, helping you to effectively remove malware from infected computers. Now, we will walk you through the process of using Trojan Killer from a USB flash drive to scan and remove malware on an infected PC. Remember, always obtain permission to scan and remove malware from a computer that you do not own.
Step 1: Download & Install Trojan Killer on a Clean Computer:
1. Go to the official GridinSoft website (gridinsoft.com) and download Trojan Killer to a computer that is not infected.
2. Insert a USB flash drive into this computer.
3. Install Trojan Killer to the "removable drive" following the on-screen instructions.
4. Once the installation is complete, launch Trojan Killer.
Step 2: Update Signature Databases:
5. After launching Trojan Killer, ensure that your computer is connected to the Internet.
6. Click "Update" icon to download the latest signature databases, which will ensure the tool can detect the most recent threats.
Step 3: Scan the Infected PC:
7. Safely eject the USB flash drive from the clean computer.
8. Boot the infected computer to the Safe Mode.
9. Insert the USB flash drive.
10. Run tk.exe
11. Once the program is open, click on "Full Scan" to begin the malware scanning process.
Step 4: Remove Found Threats:
12. After the scan is complete, Trojan Killer will display a list of detected threats.
13. Click on "Cure PC!" to remove the identified malware from the infected PC.
14. Follow any additional on-screen prompts to complete the removal process.
Step 5: Restart Your Computer:
15. Once the threats are removed, click on "Restart PC" to reboot your computer.
16. Remove the USB flash drive from the infected computer.
Congratulations on effectively removing spyware and the concealed threats from your computer! You can now have peace of mind, knowing that they won't resurface again. Thanks to Gridinsoft's capabilities and commitment to cybersecurity, your system is now protected.
Frequently asked questions
The vast majority of information posted on the Skyxtrade 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 Skyxtrade 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 Skyxtrade 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:
- Verify Regulation and Licensing. Before proceeding, ensure that the platform or service is regulated and possesses the necessary licenses from relevant authorities. Scammers often operate without proper authorization.
- Resist Urgency. Be cautious of tactics that create a false sense of urgency to pressure you into quick decisions. Legitimate investments provide ample time for research and consideration.
- Consult Reviews and Feedback. Seek independent reviews and feedback from other traders. While positive reviews can be fabricated, negative reviews often reveal valuable insights.
- Question Unrealistic Promises. Approach offers with unrealistically high returns or guaranteed profits skeptically. If an investment opportunity seems too good to be true, it probably is.
- Scrutinize Celebrity Endorsements. Exercise skepticism when faced with endorsements from celebrities or public figures. Scammers frequently create fake endorsements to enhance credibility.
If you have become a victim of a Skyxtrade 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.
The truth about Skyxtrade
Name: Skyxtrade
Description: Cryptocurrency scams continue to increase as digital assets achieve mainstream adoption. A recent example of such a scam involves Skyxtrade, a fraudulent crypto exchange that entices victims with promises of free crypto giveaways. This detailed article will extensively examine the operations of the Skyxtrade scam, techniques for recognizing it, and, most crucially, ways to evade becoming a victim.
Operating System: All
Application Category: Crypto Scams
