We Investigated Smiterex: Legit or Scam? The Facts

Recently, Smiterex.com site surfaced, promoting itself as a place where you can safely store cryptocurrency and other assets. I managed to gather reliable proof that unmistakably indicates it is, actually, a scam platform.

Despite what Smiterex site says, they won’t ever refund your money. Even though the numbers displayed in the “member area”, there is absolutely no possibility to withdraw even a penny. All pledges regarding crypto rewards are hollow as well.

It is better to prevent, than repair and repent!

When we talk about the intrusion of unfamiliar programs into your computer’s work, the proverb “Forewarned is forearmed” describes the situation as accurately as possible. Gridinsoft Anti-Malware is exactly the tool that is always useful to have in your armory: fast, efficient, up-to-date. It is appropriate to use it as an emergency help at the slightest suspicion of infection.

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Smiterex Scam Overview

The primary service that Smiterex attempts to provide is a secure and user-friendly crypto wallet service. The site promises crypto exchange services, tools for managing wallets, transfers, dashboards, and similar functions. In truth, they endeavor to emulate the functionality of a crypto exchange, like Binance or Coinbase. However, it in fact solely serves as a shell intended to mislead the cautious.

Smiterex Scam

First and foremost, Smiterex imitates the design of numerous equivalent websites. There are quite a few examples, like Skyxtrade, Skylarxbit or Skeplex. They are completely identical in terms of graphic elements, with minor discrepancies in the website header. Other particulars, and at times even crypto wallet addresses, are matching. Most likely, all these scam sites are operated by a single team of frauds.

Cryptocurrency Scam Summary

How the Smiterex Scam Works?

Smiterex is yet another online platform within a wide-ranging network of interconnected crypto deceptive platforms. The managers employ different brand titles and websites, like Smiterex.com, to capture victims. However, these fraudulent websites share the same designs, terms of service, and About Us information. This exposes their beginnings as components of the identical fraudulent network, which endorses the identical type of scam under various covers. The fraudsters merely duplicate the equal fraudulent website under different names to deceive users into assuming they are joining a new platform. However, in actuality, it’s the same group of scammers orchestrating the fraudulent promises and efforts to take deposited money. The managers shrewdly employ psychological strategies and appealing propositions to implement their dishonest plans.

Step 1: Spreading

To initiate the fraud, criminals set up and fill accounts on popular social media platforms. They generally aim at Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Subsequently, the advertising campaign starts. Utilizing bots and paid promotions (when feasible), fraud actors boost the visibility of their deceptive activities to possible victims. This tactic enables them to cast a broad net and engage with their targeted audience. This public typically consists of cryptocurrency fans searching for opportunities to earn profits.

Users get a stimulus to register, attracted by the promise of obtaining crypto prizes valued at hundreds of dollars, all free of charge. To augment the attractiveness of the offer, fake claims of sponsorship by a celebrity are added. As you may guess, these assertions are entirely baseless.

Step 2: Gaining Traffic

People who demonstrate interest check out Smiterex.com via links present in advertisements or robotic posts. The website uses captivating visuals, design features that appear genuine, and claims of holding a official license, all aimed to convey an initial perception of trustworthiness.

Step 3: Data Gathering

To claim their rewards, users need to deliberately create an profile on Smiterex and receive guidance to submit sensitive and private data throughout the sign-up procedure. This includes linking their cryptocurrency wallets, providing email addresses, giving phone numbers, furnishing identification documents, and the like.

Step 4: Requesting funds

Once signed up, users notice substantial amounts of cryptocurrency, valued at thousands of dollars, within their Smiterex wallets. Nevertheless, as is typical with such rewards, you cannot withdraw them before making a deposit. Normally, a payment of $100 is required to access the sign-up bonus. This stipulation serves as the trap that eventually leads to the money loss.

Step 5: Disappear

The point in time the payment is sent, the fraudsters cease all communication. They go ahead to restrict users, delete accounts, and vanish with both the transferred funds and vital personal details. The fictitious rewards persist perpetually uncredited, as they lack actual existence. They operate solely as a deceptive maneuver. This approach forms the foundation for the deceivers’ capacity to trick victims and steal hard-earned funds through their double-dealing internet-based crypto scheme.

Signs of Scam

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

• False Celebrity Sponsorship. Smiterex 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. Smiterex.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. Smiterex 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. Smiterex.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%, Smiterex preys on the desire for quick profits. Yet, the volatile nature of the cryptocurrency market makes such gains highly unlikely, definitively labeling Smiterex as a scam.

What Should I do as a Victim?

If you had to deal with Smiterex 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 scam, fraudsters may get in touch with you with particular files. Alternatively, they may suggest you to deploy “cryptocurrency wallet applications” or “browser extensions” to streamline access to your crypto assets. As we earlier figured out, these deceivers have no plan of returning your capital. So, what can these emails and browser plugins represent? You guessed – that is another side of the fraudulent scheme designed to entice you into deliberately running destructive software onto your system.

Both add-ons and attachments included to email messages can serve as a shell for diverse malicious software. In this scenario, I expect the presence of spyware and stealers among all kinds of malware. While it is not obligatory for scammers to distribute malware, the chance is always existent. As noted, their ethics is of negligible importance, and their reputation is already severely tarnished. They have no scruples to give up and strive to maximize revenues.

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 truth about Smiterex

Name: Smiterex

Description: Cryptocurrency scams continue to increase as digital assets achieve mainstream adoption. A recent example of such a scam involves Smiterex, a fraudulent crypto exchange that entices victims with promises of free crypto giveaways. This detailed article will extensively examine the operations of the Smiterex scam, techniques for recognizing it, and, most crucially, ways to evade becoming a victim.

Operating System: All

Application Category: Crypto Scams

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