Recently, Vaseltex.com service popped up, promoting itself as a platform where you can safely store cryptocurrency and other assets. I managed to gather credible evidence that clearly confirms it is, in truth, a scam site.
Despite what Vaseltex site states, they won’t ever refund your capital. Even though the numbers displayed in the “member area”, there is no ability to retrieve even a single coin. All commitments regarding crypto bonuses are empty as well.
Vaseltex Scam Overview
The main service that Vaseltex aims to provide is a protected and convenient cryptocurrency wallet service. The site promises exchange facilities, tools for controlling wallets, transfers, dashboards, and similar stuff. In truth, they try to emulate the functionality of a crypto trading platform, akin to Binance or Coinbase. However, it in actuality exclusively serves as a shell needed to lull the vigilance.
Initially, Vaseltex mimics the appearance of numerous equivalent pages. There are quite a few examples, like Varganax, Upcoines or Skytorex. They are entirely identical in terms of graphic elements, with slight discrepancies in the webpage header. Other specific elements, and sometimes even crypto wallet addresses, are identical. Most likely, all these deceptive websites are led by the same gang of frauds.
Cryptocurrency Scam Summary
| Website | Vaseltex.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 Vaseltex Scam Works?
Vaseltex is yet another website within a extensive network of interconnected crypto deceptive sites. The administrators utilize various brand identities and sites, like Vaseltex.com, to capture victims. Nevertheless, these deceptive sites have in common matching designs, terms of service, and About Us information. This exposes their beginnings as a part of the same fraudulent network, which endorses the same form of deception under diverse appearances. The deceivers just copy the same scam site under different names to mislead users into believing they are participating in a fresh venture. However, in actuality, it’s the equal group of scammers orchestrating the fraudulent pledges and undertakings to seize deposited cryptocurrency. The managers cleverly make use of psychological strategies and enticing propositions to implement their unscrupulous plots.
Step 1: Spreading
To begin the deceptive scheme, criminals create and fill accounts on popular social media platforms. They mainly target Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Subsequently, the marketing campaign commences. Using bots and sponsored ads (when achievable), fraud actors increase the exposure of their scam activities to potential victims. This approach allows them to cast a wide net and connect with their aimed viewers. The latter commonly comprises of cryptocurrency enthusiasts looking for opportunities to make profits.
Users receive an incentive to enroll, attracted by the commitment of receiving crypto prizes valued at hundreds of dollars, all without cost. To increase the attractiveness of the offer, false suggestions of cooperation with a celebrity are incorporated. As you may guess, these assertions are entirely baseless.
Step 2: Gaining Traffic
Individuals who demonstrate interest check out Vaseltex.com via links featured in promotions or bot-generated posts. The site employs captivating visuals, design aspects that appear genuine, and assertions of holding a official license, all designed to convey an initial image of trustworthiness.
Step 3: Data Gathering
To redeem their rewards, users need to proactively set up an account on Vaseltex and get instructions to provide sensitive and personal data during the enrollment procedure. This includes linking their cryptocurrency wallets, providing email addresses, specifying phone numbers, furnishing identification papers, and more.
Step 4: Requesting funds
Once registered, users observe substantial amounts of cryptocurrency, valued at thousands of dollars, within their Vaseltex wallets. Nonetheless, as it usually happens with such rewards, you are unable to withdraw them prior to making a deposit. Typically, a deposit of $100 is asked to withdraw the sign-up bonus. This condition serves as the enticement that eventually results to the money loss.
Step 5: Disappear
Signs of Scam
I gathered several facts that point at the scammy nature of the Vaseltex.com. Actually, there are a lot of scams that fall under the same points, so they are pretty much universal.
- Cryptocurrency-Only Transactions. Vaseltex.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. Vaseltex 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. Vaseltex 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. Vaseltex 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%, Vaseltex capitalizes on the desire for high profits. However, the tumultuous nature of the cryptocurrency market renders such gains implausible, solidifying Vaseltex.com as a definite scam.
What Should I do as a Victim?
If you had to deal with Vaseltex 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 fraud, its masters may get in touch with you with particular documents. Alternatively, they may suggest you to deploy “cryptocurrency wallet applications” or “browser extensions” to streamline access to your crypto funds. As we already figured out, these rascals have no intent of giving back your capital. So, what can these messages and browser extensions represent? You guessed – that is another element of the deceptive plan designed to entice you into deliberately running malicious programs onto your system.
Both add-ons and attachments attached to emails can function as a carrier for diverse malicious software. In this case, I expect the presence of spyware and stealers among other forms of malicious programs. While it is not obligatory for scammers to distribute malware, the chance is always above zero. As previously mentioned, their conscience is of no concern, and their reputation is already severely tarnished. They have no scruples to lose and intend to maximize revenues.
Frequently asked questions
- Contact your bank or card provider and ask about chargeback options.
- Save screenshots, receipts, tracking numbers, and emails as evidence.
- Change reused passwords and enable two-factor authentication on important accounts.
- Watch for follow-up phishing emails pretending to offer refunds or delivery updates.
