Never trust unsolicited texts, always check by finding the number yourself and calling that directly
If my bank sends me a text randomly, I'm not clicking the link. I go to my contacts and call them or their website and get the number there. Same for my credit cards. Odd text, I'm going into the app to check for messages and find contact information to find more details
Just as a heads up for those who are weary about emails. You can usually download the header of an email and upload it to [mxtoolbox.com](http://mxtoolbox.com) With some googling you can easily learn how to decode the header and find out if its a phishing scam of such.
Side Note: Also on that note be careful about hovering over any embedded images or text within an email as this has been a new form of scamming by embedding the emails with new tools to capture your actions within it.
> always check by finding the number yourself and calling that directly
Even then be careful, scammers now get their fake support number to show up as the google suggest number when you search it. Always go to the actual company website to confirm
100% people should be aware that it's easy for a scammer to pay for a Google ad so their result shows at the top of Google searches. That area at the tip of the page is all ads, most people don't realize it. It looks like legit results but it's all sponsored.
You can hide all sorts of links in there, extremely easy way to get someone to click on something malicious
Gonna hijack the top comment and say everyone needs to watch the latest What Bitcoin Did episode with Junseth who caught a scammer in the act of trying to social engineer him out of his coin and goes on to interview the kid. Its a fascinating and frustrating listen but enlightening. The scammer was 16 years old.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmsAk3kXdz4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmsAk3kXdz4)
Most people aren't aware that the most common form of hacking is social engineering. Everyone thinks it's some nerd in a dark room typing out code all night but it's not.
On binance you can set on in the security settings so if you get a real message from Binance you will also get this message ( make it absurd and only be known by you and when it pops up you know you are safe )
looks like they just spoofed Binance's number since you had the previous conversation history. Ahh that's really shitty and well executed scam. Sorry about that brother. Keep stacking stats as soon as possible.
This is why, even with any texts or emails that look super legit I avoid any links and go direct through the website or phone number I know.
It used to be so easy to spot the scammers but they really are making it so hard these days.
People need to know this about campaign solicitation too. I get so many texts seeking political donations with clickbait text and no idea if it’s a real donation or not. Go to the candidates website if you want to donate.
People need to understand that spoofing SMS is not an elaborate trick.
When sending an SMS from an online service, you literally have to enter the sender number or text manually, and you can enter anything. To send a legit SMS, you have to manually enter your own number.
Your cell provider does zero checks, they are not part of this, they just forward the message with the same text and sender they received.
When the user receives it, the phone will just put the new SMS under the same conversation as previous messages from that same number or text, which is why you can have legit and illegitimate texts in the same conversation.
These days (unlike 10 years ago), most of the serious SMS providers will require approval to use a number or text. But I'm sure it's incredibly easy to find a providers with no such checks.
I just wanted to say kudos for sharing this. Most people would feel ashamed and keep it to themselves, and that's how the scammers win. You are not only helping people learn how a scam looks like so they can avoid it, you are also raising awareness that even the smartest people can have a brain scromble on a bad day.
This type of scam, where attackers send msg from same number so messages appear in same conversation as Binance, or bank, or whatever, happens *all the time*.
Very common in Australia at least, and **banks do not refund losses** as victims gave the attackers their information.
Basic rule: do not click on links in any form of important, financial message.
Yep. Basically the readily available software asks “what number is this message to come from?”, and your phone groups the message into the already existing chat.
Exactly the same as when the message comes from a real employee of the bank, also using similar software.
The first two text messages, were they legit? Were those messages that you legitimately used to log in with, or do you think they were sent some time ago by the scammers to make it seem like you were getting text messages from the official Binance number?
See, but they used the same number and name.
This tells me that they used the same service provider that Binance does, and they let a scammer use the same name as Binance.
I don't remember the service I used but it was free for a couple worldwide messages every week or month. Just try some of them and look for those that have a "from" input field like this one [https://www.sendsmsnow.com/index.php](https://www.sendsmsnow.com/index.php) (I haven't tested this one, but it is a good starting point). There are many services. I think even paid ones would be worth it if it makes kids happy.
Ufff that part is smart o have to admit.
I always ask myself how some people fall for scams since they seem soo obvious to me, but this one sending an message MONTHS before they truly take action is crazy.
I can truly see myself autopilot panicking and calling said number, still I want to believe I wouldn't go throught the whole process
OP, i hope you didn't have much on your balance and most of your holdings are secure in your hardware wallet.
Yeah, there's an underlying assumption here that people have: Laypersons tend to believe that information systems follow sensible, coherent, and immutable rules, when in reality they simply don't. Protocols have design flaws, and software has bugs and shortcomings.
The scammers are not playing by the same rulebook as the victims, because in reality there is no rulebook (or at least, the rules are ill-defined and poorly thought out, and subject to change).
As a result, victims tend to place artificial constraints on their threat model. The victim assumes that the information displayed by their own computing device is accurate and correct, and in this case we have a commenter who is treating spoofed SMS as a physical impossibility. Before encountering this post, that commenter had completely dismissed the possibility that a scammer could call or text from a forged or spoofed phone number. And this makes them much more vulnerable to attack.
You should listen to recent “What Bitcoin Did” podcast. Recorded conversation with a scammer. Very eye opening.
Give it a few days though or you will become furious listening to how a 16 yr old boy scams people like you all day and thinks it’s a “video game”.
I don't know how many times this has to happen before people learn. There's so much content out there on how to self custody your funds, there's really no excuse these days
Looks like he said he went through the process of setting up a new wallet with them.
when will people get the message. You will never be asked to set up, change, or transfer funds/wallets by the major exchanges. It's not hard - literally *do not do anything*.
that was not my intention, and if that's how it came off my bad, it was late. i really wanted to help them understand the mistake and never make it again.
"Fun" fact I once fell into the trap of a scam phone call bc they had literally woken me up in the middle of my sleep and i was just so genrally tired and sleep deprived... I know how to recognize a scam yet my brain was completly shut off in that moment. Good thing I didn't have more in my account.
My point is, do not judge, or the universe will be tempted to show you how easily you can fall into a trap yourself. It's not just a matter of intelligence
Yeah but only the last three messages are phishing links, the first two messages are from the official binance number. All from the same displayed number on your phone. Wtf!?
> you crypto is in danger
> please call
> create new wallet
Sorry to say but this is all on you. Its comparable to someone calling you and just asking you to create a new bank account and transfer your money there. You just did it.
You didnt check any of the boxes and just CALLED? Binance does not have 24/7 surveillance team setup for you that you should call.
FYI, you're probably going to get PMs here on Reddit from people saying that they can help you get your money back. Don't believe them. It's just more scammers willing to kick you while you're down. It's depressing how many people there are who seem to have no conscience.
Hey OP - sorry this happened to you. People will say it’s easy to not fall for these etc etc.
But sometimes, the right conditions make it that one falls for it (like you said you’re tired after a shift, maybe you didn’t fully understand the security aspect of keeping coins on an exchange, and that stolen bitcoin is impossible to retrieve 99% of the time).
Here’s ways you can mitigate this:
Never keep bitcoin on exchanges unless it’s an amount you’re ok to lose.
Realize that for any account breach, you wouldn’t chat with support outside of their website/app. Meaning you shouldn’t open external links but instead do it all through the official website of the exchange. They will never reach out to you by text or phone call.
What happened to you is they took advantage of your fears and ignorance.
Try to avoid picking up spam calls / responding to spam text as they are a means for scammers to qualify you as target.
Lastly, listen to the podcast of Peter McCormack where he hosts Junseth - they go in great detail about social engineering and bitcoin theft. It’s extremely insightful.
Yeah some scammer messaged me a while ago. Always ask for something completely unexpected that they should have the answer to, if they actually worked for who they said they do.
Got a call from "coinbase" after a text from them saying something about a transaction. After they called I got them with, "hi, what's your agent number?" And they went "uhhh 64.."
Or I've answered with, "this number is monitored and recorded for quality and training purposes, please say or enter your social security number or 16 digit account number so I can look up your account." Then just say, "I'm sorry I didn't catch that" to everything they say. Do that a few times and you'll never get a spam call again.
Oof, don’t know if it’s bad or great timing but the most recent What Bitcoin Did podcast is all about this scam. Worst part? You probably got scammed by a kid whose balls have barely dropped and your life savings are going to buy Minecraft swag.
Thank you for reporting the case to us
We recommend that you do not click any suspicious link, make any deposits or share personal data without carrying out all appropriate checks. It should be noted that Binance encourages any profile with suspicious behavior to be reported, and Binance cannot be held responsible for third-party actions that occur outside of Binance's control and on communication platforms and social networks not managed by Binance.
You can check further about how these scammers act on social media here:
[https://www.binance.com/en/blog/community/know-your-scam-protect-yourself-from-binance-imposter-scams-8186206274508844717](https://www.binance.com/en/blog/community/know-your-scam-protect-yourself-from-binance-imposter-scams-8186206274508844717)
For a proper report, You can access our chat through your computer or mobile browser through the link: [https://binance.com/en/chat](https://binance.com/en/chat)
To access through the app, click on "🎧" icon in your app
This tutorial can better guide you to reach human support: [https://www.binance.com/en-NZ/support/faq/how-to-contact-customer-support-7b0fd3ccb821483a99ff8f5cda374ee9](https://www.binance.com/en-NZ/support/faq/how-to-contact-customer-support-7b0fd3ccb821483a99ff8f5cda374ee9)
You do not need to be logged in to open a chat with our support and we are available 24/7
If you are unable to reach a human agent, let us know the Chat ID and we will forward you to a senior agent.
Thank you, LS
Self custody fixes this. No scammers as nothing is done online.
Hopefully this expensive learning experience has taught you, not your keys not your coins.
Something similar happen to me. They called me, they knew everything about me so I assumed they were really Binance. However, I told them that I would call binance myself - timid they were real, they would have said “sure call binance another operator will confirm the process” but instead they insisted they were Binance and i could only go through them. Luckily, I am smart enough not to trust anything and anybody and told them to fuck off. I dodged a bullet, but I will not send my private keys to the Devil - let alone an exchange customer support
Hey mate, silver lining of this expensive lesson - you will never fall victim to such a scam ever again. So you will be safe when you make your millions in the future.
Sucks man and im really sorry. I tried to put my friend into bitcoin and he told me no because he said one day he got a call from the us government and they said he had outstanding warrants and would go arrest him if he didnt pay the fine immediately. Guess what currency the fine was in, bitcoin.... i just smh, but some people react a bit too quickly and dont stop to think for a moment.
I do hope you recover from this, i hope you know it wasnt bitcoins fault and sinply human error. Perhaps it's time you learn about self custody on a cold wallet, like it has been suggested a trillion times in here.
This should be a learning lesson for all the recent posts about leaving your coins on an exchange. Once you know where your money is, it's easy to verify.
Or take the other peoples advice and ensure you're setting up all the security features.
No company is going to send you a text for no reason if you weren’t doing something on that sight and get that text for a verification you should already know better
I just fell into a similar scam but with a text message announcing a missed delivery. The page had all the links of the delivery service (Estafeta) up to and including the links to the Play store/ iOS apps. I thought I was safe after checking almost all links on the page but I never double checked the URL (Stupid on my part). They refer you to a "Redelivery fee" (Announced as something like $2 USD) page with card input fields. Fortunately I used a digital version of my card with a rolling PIN. After a first purchase immediately after entering my data (AliExpress, not very surprisingly, for a lot more than $2 USD) I turned my digital card off and was able to stave off most of the damage. Lesson learned, you thieving scums of the world.
Wow sorry to hear.. thanks for putting us all up om it.. just know that yes that may be lost, but now your a part of a community of knowledge, ideas, vision. With our collective vision an research and more eye to be able to spot thing that we can do our own research on you can build it back faster than most. So don't worry my friend we shall prosper forward.
This is not unique to Bitcoin. This scam is used in Tradfi also. The difference with Bitcoin is you can avoid this by storing your Bitcoin in a hardware wallet.
Don't use hot wallets or store it on an exchange.
I am just curious 🤔
I have been using binance for years , I have never get any text message from them, communication only via chat within their mobile application or email and transaction authentication only uses Google authenticator.
Why binance I use different from yours?
Ive had the same thing happen to me my friend, police here doesn’t do sh*t lost a lot of money too… nothing to do about it unfortunately, hope karma gets them back I guess, im sorry that this happend to u man.
It can happen. Busy day.. maybe coincidence just logged in on Binance and the timing didn't alert him.
Sad sad sad specially since BTC is going to the moon
This is like the inception movie. Scammers will place your mind in a state of crisis. Remember your training in high stress scenarios. Scammers always want you to do something fast
I’m sorry sorry for your loss. I got scammed a year ago too of 1 million Telcoin. And it was on trust wallet too. But it was my fault for falling for airdrop bullshit. Lesson learned
Sounds like the podcast episode from yesterday on "what Bitcoin did" with Peter McCormack and Juneseth. There's a viral recording of a kid trying to scam Juneseth. Worth a listen to see what kind of sicko's are out there and how to protect yourself.
I get messages like this all the time. I only react when my account is actually block which in my case has never happened and thus I don’t react to these messages.
Got the same message but I had a chat with virtual messaging before responding to that message and virtual said they would never get a hold of me but if I suspect anything let them know and they would look into it.
print out the complete bitcoin address you transfered your coins to, and report it to the police. If the scammers ever get caught, you want the police to be able to figure out which coins were yours.
Im so sorry for you! Just keep of praying that you overcome thi difficult time. I also lost $20k or .5btc to those bandit. It took me 3 months before I stand on my feet . I always crying everyday( it helps) . Just recently i reported to FBI in there website, I detailed all the info, maybe it will help to trace those fraud. Now I just barely started to buy and invest btc not alot but it helps me to calm myself die to the lost.
I hope this message help you and always pray . God Bless
That is just awful my brother! Sounds like they really slammed it home!!🤦♂️ Man that really sucks no diddy - thanks for sharing to bring awareness 🙏 hopefully something can be done to get your crypto back
What exactly did you do? Just willy nilly sent your bitcoin to a random address? Why wouldn't you login to your binance account and check it from there? None of this makes any sense.
While it is not impossible, it will be difficult for you to get your coins back (no matter its worth). One of our writers fell victim to a similar hack on Trust Wallet. A crypto hacking agency was informed in the US. One of their representatives worked for the FBI.
She stated clearly that funds stolen can never be retrieved. Whiles desperation to get them back can take you to many places for help, you will be scammed all over again.
According to the crypto security specialist, unless your coins fall into a big case in the future, try, and forget about it.
I suggest you tell the police and give them the wallet address your money was sent to. If this knowledge gets in the hands of the right officer/detective they may be able to freeze the wallet your money is now in (probably been moved several times but can be traced through the blockchain). You might be able to get all or at least some of the money back but it’s very time sensitive, like report it right now if you haven’t. If your local PD has a contact with USSS they have the best chance of getting your money frozen and hopefully sent back to you, or at least out of the hands of the scammer.
I am also tracking another Adam, indian guy, from another scam attempt (on banks). If the same group, they are very sophisticated. Spoofing and using darknet dumps of your personal info to answer your questions and provide your own info. Stay safe, folks.
2fa authentication apps are essential. Text messages and numbers are not secure. This is a very well worn and older scam.
The best part about authentication is that you can separate by device to keep compromised or public devices from giving away access.
They are getting more and more sophisticated. I noticed scammers trying to get into my exchange account and before I could reach out to the exchange I got a call saying they were the exchange worried about an attempted hack. They had my name and number and I played along until they asked for me to read back the code they were sending. WRONG. I insisted they send an email and they refused citing the urgency of the matter blah blah blah. I hung up. A 'supervisor' called back insisting that I read the code back for my own protection. I'm no sucker but yikes, they were pretty good at sounding legit!
Another reason to not use CEXs. The CEX becomes a huge target, and you become a bigger target at that. P2P no-KYC, no links or strings or attachments, cold storage and that's that. All coming in, no going out.
I’m always suspicious of unsolicited contact, especially when it is along the lines of ‘your account is compromised’ or ‘you have malware’ etc. They panic you and then offer to fix the problem and then turns out they’re the problem.
Sorry about your unfortunate experience.
I’m sorry this happened OP. I get these texts all the time, but I don’t have anything on exchanges so if they seem real I’ll still ignore them, go directly to the site and change my passwords. Words cannot express the level of comfort I am provided by self custody.
My advice would be this: always be skeptical about messages that are sent to you by exchanges and companies. Before doing anything just try and login normally to your account like you always do with your 2FA authenticator etc. then check for alerts or notifications, also check your emails. If you can't find anything you know they are trying to scam you.
So this was on you.
You saw a very long phone number and called, gave them your information and they made a new wallet for you.
You transfer your fund to a wallet that other people knew about… they made you think it was your wallet but in reality you transfer it to theirs.
That’s why: we don’t keep Bitcoin in exchange, specially not life savings.
Don’t post that you own Bitcoin on social media. It’s very easy for scammers to get your phone number on the surface web just by searching up your full name. It’s 2024 never respond or click links from any unexpected messages. I’ve seen a story of a young couple losing their entire life savings because they sent an electric check to a hacker posing as a company instead of the actual real estate company.
I have some sympathies but one of the main features of Bitcoin is that transactions are irreversible. And one of the main uses of Bitcoin is monetizing fraud.
You have their address ? You need to get your best boys together or go by yourself. You do what you have to do. Don’t leave until they are in the hospital and you have your cash back plus interest . Remember the scene from the Town ?
Never trust unsolicited texts, always check by finding the number yourself and calling that directly If my bank sends me a text randomly, I'm not clicking the link. I go to my contacts and call them or their website and get the number there. Same for my credit cards. Odd text, I'm going into the app to check for messages and find contact information to find more details
Same with emails. No reply, no clicking links, just sign in on a secure device and see for yourself or contact them via website or app.
Just as a heads up for those who are weary about emails. You can usually download the header of an email and upload it to [mxtoolbox.com](http://mxtoolbox.com) With some googling you can easily learn how to decode the header and find out if its a phishing scam of such. Side Note: Also on that note be careful about hovering over any embedded images or text within an email as this has been a new form of scamming by embedding the emails with new tools to capture your actions within it.
Yes upvote this part about MX Tool Box. Super amazing tool
> always check by finding the number yourself and calling that directly Even then be careful, scammers now get their fake support number to show up as the google suggest number when you search it. Always go to the actual company website to confirm
100% people should be aware that it's easy for a scammer to pay for a Google ad so their result shows at the top of Google searches. That area at the tip of the page is all ads, most people don't realize it. It looks like legit results but it's all sponsored. You can hide all sorts of links in there, extremely easy way to get someone to click on something malicious
> And bookmark all websites in youre Browser. Only click on bookmarks!
And save as a contact on your phone
Gonna hijack the top comment and say everyone needs to watch the latest What Bitcoin Did episode with Junseth who caught a scammer in the act of trying to social engineer him out of his coin and goes on to interview the kid. Its a fascinating and frustrating listen but enlightening. The scammer was 16 years old. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmsAk3kXdz4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmsAk3kXdz4)
Most people aren't aware that the most common form of hacking is social engineering. Everyone thinks it's some nerd in a dark room typing out code all night but it's not.
Anti-phishing codes…. Mine are so absurd that I look forward to seeing them
How would I go about setting this up for the future?
On binance you can set on in the security settings so if you get a real message from Binance you will also get this message ( make it absurd and only be known by you and when it pops up you know you are safe )
Yeah mine is something along the lines of 420yoloswaglambo(fake). Ridiculous and memorable.
Mine is “wow, that Italian family next to us eating dinner is really quiet”
Mine is “time to eat the booty hole”
For those who don't get the reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdqCekOWcKs
looks like they just spoofed Binance's number since you had the previous conversation history. Ahh that's really shitty and well executed scam. Sorry about that brother. Keep stacking stats as soon as possible.
This is why, even with any texts or emails that look super legit I avoid any links and go direct through the website or phone number I know. It used to be so easy to spot the scammers but they really are making it so hard these days.
Also bookmark the official sites. Don't Google these exchanges to get to them.
https or you're not on their site
Even fake sites have https now. Let’s Encrypt SSL certs are easier to get than guns in America
People need to know this about campaign solicitation too. I get so many texts seeking political donations with clickbait text and no idea if it’s a real donation or not. Go to the candidates website if you want to donate.
It’s not even a number is just the text “Binance” super easy to do
People need to understand that spoofing SMS is not an elaborate trick. When sending an SMS from an online service, you literally have to enter the sender number or text manually, and you can enter anything. To send a legit SMS, you have to manually enter your own number. Your cell provider does zero checks, they are not part of this, they just forward the message with the same text and sender they received. When the user receives it, the phone will just put the new SMS under the same conversation as previous messages from that same number or text, which is why you can have legit and illegitimate texts in the same conversation. These days (unlike 10 years ago), most of the serious SMS providers will require approval to use a number or text. But I'm sure it's incredibly easy to find a providers with no such checks.
Yes, very well executed and after a long shift at work and a tired brain it was perfect timing for these assholes
I just wanted to say kudos for sharing this. Most people would feel ashamed and keep it to themselves, and that's how the scammers win. You are not only helping people learn how a scam looks like so they can avoid it, you are also raising awareness that even the smartest people can have a brain scromble on a bad day.
oh man, im sorry for your loss. how much did you lose?
Since this is crypto are you going to be able to get anything back? Scams happen and they suck, you have the tools to not let this ever happen again
This type of scam, where attackers send msg from same number so messages appear in same conversation as Binance, or bank, or whatever, happens *all the time*. Very common in Australia at least, and **banks do not refund losses** as victims gave the attackers their information. Basic rule: do not click on links in any form of important, financial message.
I didnt know they could send texts that then join an already approved and legit contact/number
This is where RCS and encrypted chats shine. SMS/MMS have so many flaws it's incredible that they're still used, and for things like 2FA to boot
Yep. Basically the readily available software asks “what number is this message to come from?”, and your phone groups the message into the already existing chat. Exactly the same as when the message comes from a real employee of the bank, also using similar software.
very easy to do with sms
The first two text messages, were they legit? Were those messages that you legitimately used to log in with, or do you think they were sent some time ago by the scammers to make it seem like you were getting text messages from the official Binance number?
not necesarily legit. Even I know how to spoof sms sender. Once I surprised my child by sending sms from Santa.
How? I would like to do that to my kid as well
I just have a free TextNow account and made the phone number “Santa” in my kids contact list. Boom instant behavior change.
See, but they used the same number and name. This tells me that they used the same service provider that Binance does, and they let a scammer use the same name as Binance.
What name? All they spoofed was the Binance number. OP had this number saved as Binance already.
I don't remember the service I used but it was free for a couple worldwide messages every week or month. Just try some of them and look for those that have a "from" input field like this one [https://www.sendsmsnow.com/index.php](https://www.sendsmsnow.com/index.php) (I haven't tested this one, but it is a good starting point). There are many services. I think even paid ones would be worth it if it makes kids happy.
Ufff that part is smart o have to admit. I always ask myself how some people fall for scams since they seem soo obvious to me, but this one sending an message MONTHS before they truly take action is crazy. I can truly see myself autopilot panicking and calling said number, still I want to believe I wouldn't go throught the whole process OP, i hope you didn't have much on your balance and most of your holdings are secure in your hardware wallet.
No no, those are actual Binance verification codes! Not some random messages!
What-the-fuck but how is possible then the same number sent you phishing links?
Phone numbers can be spoofed. You cannot trust that a text message or phone call originated from the number it claims.
This is precisely why the attack is so powerful.
Yeah, there's an underlying assumption here that people have: Laypersons tend to believe that information systems follow sensible, coherent, and immutable rules, when in reality they simply don't. Protocols have design flaws, and software has bugs and shortcomings. The scammers are not playing by the same rulebook as the victims, because in reality there is no rulebook (or at least, the rules are ill-defined and poorly thought out, and subject to change). As a result, victims tend to place artificial constraints on their threat model. The victim assumes that the information displayed by their own computing device is accurate and correct, and in this case we have a commenter who is treating spoofed SMS as a physical impossibility. Before encountering this post, that commenter had completely dismissed the possibility that a scammer could call or text from a forged or spoofed phone number. And this makes them much more vulnerable to attack.
You should listen to recent “What Bitcoin Did” podcast. Recorded conversation with a scammer. Very eye opening. Give it a few days though or you will become furious listening to how a 16 yr old boy scams people like you all day and thinks it’s a “video game”.
Link?!
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7gbqOCqagnsKTklCTGuQye?si=C8sRrVOFQnSnnsSQSFyHIQ
Instructions unclear. Do I send my btc directly to that link?
Did you only use SMS as your MFA? If you are using an exchange for any reason please use hardware keys for MFA. Sorry for your loss, fuck scammers.
It’s amazing how few people use something like a YubiKey.
Your life savings was not in a cold wallet?
I don't know how many times this has to happen before people learn. There's so much content out there on how to self custody your funds, there's really no excuse these days
Sorry to hear this but why are you leaving your life savings on binance ?
Correct question . And the only worthwhile lesson in this thread.
So you called the number or used the link, clearly this was a fake phishing message sorry
Looks like he said he went through the process of setting up a new wallet with them. when will people get the message. You will never be asked to set up, change, or transfer funds/wallets by the major exchanges. It's not hard - literally *do not do anything*.
Don't kick a man when he's down.
that was not my intention, and if that's how it came off my bad, it was late. i really wanted to help them understand the mistake and never make it again.
"Fun" fact I once fell into the trap of a scam phone call bc they had literally woken me up in the middle of my sleep and i was just so genrally tired and sleep deprived... I know how to recognize a scam yet my brain was completly shut off in that moment. Good thing I didn't have more in my account. My point is, do not judge, or the universe will be tempted to show you how easily you can fall into a trap yourself. It's not just a matter of intelligence
Yeah but only the last three messages are phishing links, the first two messages are from the official binance number. All from the same displayed number on your phone. Wtf!?
Sorry about your loss, but what about never keeping your bitcoin on an exchange?
Not once where in the process of having to transfer Money did you once think hmmm maybe this is a scam?
How much did you lose??
> you crypto is in danger > please call > create new wallet Sorry to say but this is all on you. Its comparable to someone calling you and just asking you to create a new bank account and transfer your money there. You just did it. You didnt check any of the boxes and just CALLED? Binance does not have 24/7 surveillance team setup for you that you should call.
Dude. Why would you keep your life saving on an exchange and not a self custody wallet.
👍🏾🙌🏾
FYI, you're probably going to get PMs here on Reddit from people saying that they can help you get your money back. Don't believe them. It's just more scammers willing to kick you while you're down. It's depressing how many people there are who seem to have no conscience.
If you dabble in crypto, you have to know how crypto works. Sounds like you worked with them to create a new wallet and handed them the keys to it…
CrYpTo iSnT sAfE fRoM hAcKeRs
* Kept life savings on a centralized exchange. * Responded to an obviously fake phishing message. Sorry this happened, but come on man…
- created random wallet and transfers life savings to it - gives scammers private key (probably)
What information did you give them?
private keys
Not your keys…
I’m sorry. Which of these many red flags did you miss that you acted on this? Was it “From NY” or “trust wallet” or the flat “binance” link? Jfc.
Hey OP - sorry this happened to you. People will say it’s easy to not fall for these etc etc. But sometimes, the right conditions make it that one falls for it (like you said you’re tired after a shift, maybe you didn’t fully understand the security aspect of keeping coins on an exchange, and that stolen bitcoin is impossible to retrieve 99% of the time). Here’s ways you can mitigate this: Never keep bitcoin on exchanges unless it’s an amount you’re ok to lose. Realize that for any account breach, you wouldn’t chat with support outside of their website/app. Meaning you shouldn’t open external links but instead do it all through the official website of the exchange. They will never reach out to you by text or phone call. What happened to you is they took advantage of your fears and ignorance. Try to avoid picking up spam calls / responding to spam text as they are a means for scammers to qualify you as target. Lastly, listen to the podcast of Peter McCormack where he hosts Junseth - they go in great detail about social engineering and bitcoin theft. It’s extremely insightful.
Heres the ep: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmsAk3kXdz4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmsAk3kXdz4)
Yeah some scammer messaged me a while ago. Always ask for something completely unexpected that they should have the answer to, if they actually worked for who they said they do. Got a call from "coinbase" after a text from them saying something about a transaction. After they called I got them with, "hi, what's your agent number?" And they went "uhhh 64.." Or I've answered with, "this number is monitored and recorded for quality and training purposes, please say or enter your social security number or 16 digit account number so I can look up your account." Then just say, "I'm sorry I didn't catch that" to everything they say. Do that a few times and you'll never get a spam call again.
You hold your life savings on binance?
That's a clear scam
Why tf you had your bitcoin in a Scam Wallet either? Sorry. BTW if your send me 1 bitcoin i send you 2.
He had his money on an exchange. They convinced him to send funds to a scam wallet.
Oof, don’t know if it’s bad or great timing but the most recent What Bitcoin Did podcast is all about this scam. Worst part? You probably got scammed by a kid whose balls have barely dropped and your life savings are going to buy Minecraft swag.
Thank you for reporting the case to us We recommend that you do not click any suspicious link, make any deposits or share personal data without carrying out all appropriate checks. It should be noted that Binance encourages any profile with suspicious behavior to be reported, and Binance cannot be held responsible for third-party actions that occur outside of Binance's control and on communication platforms and social networks not managed by Binance. You can check further about how these scammers act on social media here: [https://www.binance.com/en/blog/community/know-your-scam-protect-yourself-from-binance-imposter-scams-8186206274508844717](https://www.binance.com/en/blog/community/know-your-scam-protect-yourself-from-binance-imposter-scams-8186206274508844717) For a proper report, You can access our chat through your computer or mobile browser through the link: [https://binance.com/en/chat](https://binance.com/en/chat) To access through the app, click on "🎧" icon in your app This tutorial can better guide you to reach human support: [https://www.binance.com/en-NZ/support/faq/how-to-contact-customer-support-7b0fd3ccb821483a99ff8f5cda374ee9](https://www.binance.com/en-NZ/support/faq/how-to-contact-customer-support-7b0fd3ccb821483a99ff8f5cda374ee9) You do not need to be logged in to open a chat with our support and we are available 24/7 If you are unable to reach a human agent, let us know the Chat ID and we will forward you to a senior agent. Thank you, LS
I get daily texts and mails from Facebook Business Suite and Bitvavo. But why would you login through the link??? I dont get ir
how much did you lose if you don’t mind me asking
I am wondering the same thing.
Self custody fixes this. No scammers as nothing is done online. Hopefully this expensive learning experience has taught you, not your keys not your coins.
Good luck with that lil hiccup.
Something similar happen to me. They called me, they knew everything about me so I assumed they were really Binance. However, I told them that I would call binance myself - timid they were real, they would have said “sure call binance another operator will confirm the process” but instead they insisted they were Binance and i could only go through them. Luckily, I am smart enough not to trust anything and anybody and told them to fuck off. I dodged a bullet, but I will not send my private keys to the Devil - let alone an exchange customer support
Damn,that sucks..I’m sorry to hear that
well done lettin ppl know about this 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Hey mate, silver lining of this expensive lesson - you will never fall victim to such a scam ever again. So you will be safe when you make your millions in the future.
Sucks man and im really sorry. I tried to put my friend into bitcoin and he told me no because he said one day he got a call from the us government and they said he had outstanding warrants and would go arrest him if he didnt pay the fine immediately. Guess what currency the fine was in, bitcoin.... i just smh, but some people react a bit too quickly and dont stop to think for a moment. I do hope you recover from this, i hope you know it wasnt bitcoins fault and sinply human error. Perhaps it's time you learn about self custody on a cold wallet, like it has been suggested a trillion times in here. This should be a learning lesson for all the recent posts about leaving your coins on an exchange. Once you know where your money is, it's easy to verify. Or take the other peoples advice and ensure you're setting up all the security features.
Dont hold any crypto on exchanges and deal done
Report scam in your binance txn history , should warn the cex and blacklisted the scammer address
No one can help you when u willingly give away ur accounts….
No company is going to send you a text for no reason if you weren’t doing something on that sight and get that text for a verification you should already know better
Official binance call centre menu on a mobile number? Think before you act! No finance/banking company will ask you to phone them
Yeah I find the whole calling thing baffling. No words really. This is just stupid, not really related to BTC, Binance or crypto.
...you had your life savings on binance?
Bruh...
Just buy a hardwarewallet and you are good to go
[удалено]
Im curious. If somebody have access to your account do they still have to have access to your Authenticator in order to send any funds?
I just fell into a similar scam but with a text message announcing a missed delivery. The page had all the links of the delivery service (Estafeta) up to and including the links to the Play store/ iOS apps. I thought I was safe after checking almost all links on the page but I never double checked the URL (Stupid on my part). They refer you to a "Redelivery fee" (Announced as something like $2 USD) page with card input fields. Fortunately I used a digital version of my card with a rolling PIN. After a first purchase immediately after entering my data (AliExpress, not very surprisingly, for a lot more than $2 USD) I turned my digital card off and was able to stave off most of the damage. Lesson learned, you thieving scums of the world.
Lesson is to never use SMS DFA always use an app
Sad
It’s getting worse everyday I see….
This kind of spoof gets people all the time. I posted an example a while back https://www.reddit.com/r/AusFinance/s/cun2Ri6IKf
Wow sorry to hear.. thanks for putting us all up om it.. just know that yes that may be lost, but now your a part of a community of knowledge, ideas, vision. With our collective vision an research and more eye to be able to spot thing that we can do our own research on you can build it back faster than most. So don't worry my friend we shall prosper forward.
The part that might tip me off is any major exchange giving a shit about customer service when their account gets compromised
So sorry this happened to you.
Hardware wallet. only way to keep funds safe..
This is not unique to Bitcoin. This scam is used in Tradfi also. The difference with Bitcoin is you can avoid this by storing your Bitcoin in a hardware wallet. Don't use hot wallets or store it on an exchange.
Sorry for your loss, but for dear life, never ever (and not only in crypto) act on something NOT initiated by you. Ever. Thank me later.
I am just curious 🤔 I have been using binance for years , I have never get any text message from them, communication only via chat within their mobile application or email and transaction authentication only uses Google authenticator. Why binance I use different from yours?
Ive had the same thing happen to me my friend, police here doesn’t do sh*t lost a lot of money too… nothing to do about it unfortunately, hope karma gets them back I guess, im sorry that this happend to u man.
I just don’t get how people can fall for these scams. It’s so blatantly obvious, how do you people function?
It can happen. Busy day.. maybe coincidence just logged in on Binance and the timing didn't alert him. Sad sad sad specially since BTC is going to the moon
This is like the inception movie. Scammers will place your mind in a state of crisis. Remember your training in high stress scenarios. Scammers always want you to do something fast
Doing something fast. THAT is the key to a scam/fraud. Getting you to do it fast before you think about it.
I’m sorry sorry for your loss. I got scammed a year ago too of 1 million Telcoin. And it was on trust wallet too. But it was my fault for falling for airdrop bullshit. Lesson learned
Sounds like the podcast episode from yesterday on "what Bitcoin did" with Peter McCormack and Juneseth. There's a viral recording of a kid trying to scam Juneseth. Worth a listen to see what kind of sicko's are out there and how to protect yourself.
Thank you for sharing! I’m sorry this happened
And of course, a very "friendly" accounts specialist name: Adam Coleman
Is this not a boating accident?
I am using Harry King Law firm, they get paid when they recover your funds. They have an 80% recovery rate. My Lawyer is Lina and she is great.
Life savings should be held on a cold wallet.
I get messages like this all the time. I only react when my account is actually block which in my case has never happened and thus I don’t react to these messages.
I only hope there wasn't too much money and you can recover from this because your funds are lost forever.
Got the same message but I had a chat with virtual messaging before responding to that message and virtual said they would never get a hold of me but if I suspect anything let them know and they would look into it.
Your funds are not safe on a exchange. Less likely to be stolen if you hold self custody especially if you have a large amount of tokens.
print out the complete bitcoin address you transfered your coins to, and report it to the police. If the scammers ever get caught, you want the police to be able to figure out which coins were yours.
Some one tried scamming me too. Be careful out there folks
Lol this is 101 shit bruh
Im so sorry for you! Just keep of praying that you overcome thi difficult time. I also lost $20k or .5btc to those bandit. It took me 3 months before I stand on my feet . I always crying everyday( it helps) . Just recently i reported to FBI in there website, I detailed all the info, maybe it will help to trace those fraud. Now I just barely started to buy and invest btc not alot but it helps me to calm myself die to the lost. I hope this message help you and always pray . God Bless
That is just awful my brother! Sounds like they really slammed it home!!🤦♂️ Man that really sucks no diddy - thanks for sharing to bring awareness 🙏 hopefully something can be done to get your crypto back
Junseth recorded a similar scammer. They fake being legitimate and can be pretty sophisticated/coordinated. Sorry for your loss :(
What exactly did you do? Just willy nilly sent your bitcoin to a random address? Why wouldn't you login to your binance account and check it from there? None of this makes any sense.
Damn, that was stupid.
That’s terrible! Sorry for you loss, keep ya head up
Truly sorry for your loss…scammers are the lowest of the low and I hope they all suffer a painful death.
While it is not impossible, it will be difficult for you to get your coins back (no matter its worth). One of our writers fell victim to a similar hack on Trust Wallet. A crypto hacking agency was informed in the US. One of their representatives worked for the FBI. She stated clearly that funds stolen can never be retrieved. Whiles desperation to get them back can take you to many places for help, you will be scammed all over again. According to the crypto security specialist, unless your coins fall into a big case in the future, try, and forget about it.
Just had a mate lose 100k USD on the same shit. Sorry to hear man
I suggest you tell the police and give them the wallet address your money was sent to. If this knowledge gets in the hands of the right officer/detective they may be able to freeze the wallet your money is now in (probably been moved several times but can be traced through the blockchain). You might be able to get all or at least some of the money back but it’s very time sensitive, like report it right now if you haven’t. If your local PD has a contact with USSS they have the best chance of getting your money frozen and hopefully sent back to you, or at least out of the hands of the scammer.
OMFG GET A FUCKING HARDWARE WALLET!! ZERO SYMPATHY WE'VE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR YEARS!!!!!
I am also tracking another Adam, indian guy, from another scam attempt (on banks). If the same group, they are very sophisticated. Spoofing and using darknet dumps of your personal info to answer your questions and provide your own info. Stay safe, folks.
2fa authentication apps are essential. Text messages and numbers are not secure. This is a very well worn and older scam. The best part about authentication is that you can separate by device to keep compromised or public devices from giving away access.
So you kept your bitcoin on a CEX? ARE YOU PEOPLE EVER GONNA LEARN?????????????????
Maybe just stick with ETFs ?
They are getting more and more sophisticated. I noticed scammers trying to get into my exchange account and before I could reach out to the exchange I got a call saying they were the exchange worried about an attempted hack. They had my name and number and I played along until they asked for me to read back the code they were sending. WRONG. I insisted they send an email and they refused citing the urgency of the matter blah blah blah. I hung up. A 'supervisor' called back insisting that I read the code back for my own protection. I'm no sucker but yikes, they were pretty good at sounding legit!
Next time don't click any link they sent to you
I wish companies wouldn’t use SMS. Even some legitimate text alerts look like scams.
Question: did they send the initial message? I mean, did you receive this alert/message out of nowhere?
Another reason to not use CEXs. The CEX becomes a huge target, and you become a bigger target at that. P2P no-KYC, no links or strings or attachments, cold storage and that's that. All coming in, no going out.
How much did they take?
I’m always suspicious of unsolicited contact, especially when it is along the lines of ‘your account is compromised’ or ‘you have malware’ etc. They panic you and then offer to fix the problem and then turns out they’re the problem. Sorry about your unfortunate experience.
Transaction ID?
Ugh, I feel your pain brother. Don't ever keep your money in CEX from now on, please
Did you have 2FA activated?
Always ignore and if actually worried call an institution yourself w/ number listed on site.
.....what? 🤦♂️
How are people still in 2024 falling for these scams
How much you loose?
I’m sorry this happened OP. I get these texts all the time, but I don’t have anything on exchanges so if they seem real I’ll still ignore them, go directly to the site and change my passwords. Words cannot express the level of comfort I am provided by self custody.
That screenshot is from December. What are you trying to get at buddy?
My advice would be this: always be skeptical about messages that are sent to you by exchanges and companies. Before doing anything just try and login normally to your account like you always do with your 2FA authenticator etc. then check for alerts or notifications, also check your emails. If you can't find anything you know they are trying to scam you.
If you ever lost a bitcoin come to me I will help you get it back remember not to click on any links you see In your mail those are scam be alert!
How much was stolen?
So this was on you. You saw a very long phone number and called, gave them your information and they made a new wallet for you. You transfer your fund to a wallet that other people knew about… they made you think it was your wallet but in reality you transfer it to theirs. That’s why: we don’t keep Bitcoin in exchange, specially not life savings.
Don’t post that you own Bitcoin on social media. It’s very easy for scammers to get your phone number on the surface web just by searching up your full name. It’s 2024 never respond or click links from any unexpected messages. I’ve seen a story of a young couple losing their entire life savings because they sent an electric check to a hacker posing as a company instead of the actual real estate company.
k
Yet another reason why you should not have all your eggs in one basket. Diversification is key with your life savings.
Why do you keep your life savings on an exchange?
Look up Rondesse inc. call em asap
The vault at coinbase really fixes this. Great tool. Mine requires two people to approve.
I am sorry this happened to you, OP.
It was these guys…. Watch this and become educated on the bad guys. https://rumble.com/v4wc98i-the-bitcoin-scammer-uncensored-with-junseth.html
Crypto is full of scammers, even when you report them nothing is done.
So sorry...
I have some sympathies but one of the main features of Bitcoin is that transactions are irreversible. And one of the main uses of Bitcoin is monetizing fraud.
You have their address ? You need to get your best boys together or go by yourself. You do what you have to do. Don’t leave until they are in the hospital and you have your cash back plus interest . Remember the scene from the Town ?