241 scam websites taken down at once—and this time, the FBI went after the servers
On October 14, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and the FBI announced an operation: after three years of surveillance, they took down 241 websites and seized 112 servers in one fell swoop from an Eastern European scam ring. They preyed on Russian-speaking people in the U.S. and swindled them out of “tens of millions of dollars.” Only $300,000 was recovered, and no one was arrested.
The scams are familiar, but the second step is what makes them especially vicious:
① Russian-language Facebook ads draw you in, then a fake “investment adviser” walks you through buying crypto and depositing it on a fake platform;
② Want to withdraw your crypto? Your account gets frozen, or they tell you to pay “taxes” or an “unlocking fee”—and after you pay, there’s another charge;
③ A few weeks later, they call again: “We can help you recover the money you lost”—and scam you a second time.
The FBI’s figures: Americans lost $11.4 billion to crypto scams in 2025, up 22% year over year—and that only includes reported cases.
My take: If you have to “pay first to withdraw,” it’s a scam, no matter who says otherwise. When has a legitimate platform ever made you pay a tax upfront just to withdraw your crypto?
$BTC Personal opinion only; not investment advice. Just don’t hand over your principal and become another victim.
#比特币 #防骗 #FBI
On October 14, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and the FBI announced an operation: after three years of surveillance, they took down 241 websites and seized 112 servers in one fell swoop from an Eastern European scam ring. They preyed on Russian-speaking people in the U.S. and swindled them out of “tens of millions of dollars.” Only $300,000 was recovered, and no one was arrested.
The scams are familiar, but the second step is what makes them especially vicious:
① Russian-language Facebook ads draw you in, then a fake “investment adviser” walks you through buying crypto and depositing it on a fake platform;
② Want to withdraw your crypto? Your account gets frozen, or they tell you to pay “taxes” or an “unlocking fee”—and after you pay, there’s another charge;
③ A few weeks later, they call again: “We can help you recover the money you lost”—and scam you a second time.
The FBI’s figures: Americans lost $11.4 billion to crypto scams in 2025, up 22% year over year—and that only includes reported cases.
My take: If you have to “pay first to withdraw,” it’s a scam, no matter who says otherwise. When has a legitimate platform ever made you pay a tax upfront just to withdraw your crypto?
$BTC Personal opinion only; not investment advice. Just don’t hand over your principal and become another victim.
#比特币 #防骗 #FBI