And now the grubs are getting their “ads” into articles on the Google News website as I have seen 2 today which I have reported to Google News.
This is what the “scam ad” appears as in the articles.
1 Like
These grubs have even managed to get a revised version of the Mel Gibson scam onto the SBS News homepage.
I have contacted SBS to advise them of it.
1 Like
That link does not resolve to a bitcoin scam for me. Nor is the address you posted SBS but rather a blog page for Five Lions Supplies which is an online shopping site. Not that I trust the site either but it isn’t about bitcoins.
2 Likes
I see the page (see below), appears that the Fivelionsupplies website may have been hacked…
My adblocker didn’t bump this one.
3 Likes
It must be my blockers then that are working well. I tried the link on Chrome, Opera, Edge and Firefox with none loading a Bitcoin scam page. What I see is:
3 Likes
I have now contacted SBS 3 times over the Mel Gibson Bitcoin Scam which was once again on the first page of the SBS News website this morning.
This is their latest response.
"Hi,
Your concerns have been raised with our advertising team. They will determine if the advert is to be removed or remain on air.
Audience Relations
comments@sbs.com.au
generalcomplaints@sbs.com.au
Locked bag 028
Crows Nest
NSW
1585
T: 1800 500 727
SBS acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia."
So after some 4 days, the scam continues unabated whilst SBS gets around to trying to decide whether to just keep taking the money.
They should be charged as an accessory in this crime.
2 Likes
Is one of the problems here that most web sites outsource their ads? I understand that from a consumer perspective the ad is on the SBS web site but have you looked to see what web site the ads are being served from? (Many people run an ad blocker in their web browser with the effect that they never see outsourced ads.)
2 Likes
2 Likes
@fred123 Thank you for exposing these bitcoin scam advertisements. I belatedly learned of Choice Community after I got redirected to the Waheed Ally-Mike Cannon ‘interview’ and naively registered on the right side form. Got calls from brokers originating from Europe (in fairness they are legit but their rankings are poor). Talked to one of them and he sounded very professional and walked me thru on the steps to follow. Got email from him regarding documents to submit. Emailed him regarding some questions I had and he emailed me back. I then did a bank transfer to them (I didn’t give them my bank account) for the minimum investment ($250). They confirmed they got the money. I then emailed him regarding some questions I forgot to ask and I received no reply!. Rang their contact number many times and it was mostly busy or I get a recorded message that the person is unavailable or on a call. Then I got a text from my bank (ANZ) regarding the transfer that I just made (they texted because they tried ringing me but my phone was always busy trying to contact the broker). Talked to ANZ (fraud department) and they asked if I really made that transfer to that trading company. The reason they are ringing is because they have seen these kinds of transactions ending up being reversed by request. They said I could reverse it now if I want. I said yes of course! Seven hours later I got a call from the broker but I didn’t answer. He could have emailed me if he was busy before but he did not.
Again thank you for exposing these scams!
3 Likes
Welcome to the forum and thank you for your kind words.
I am glad my expose has helped someone.
When the scam first surfaced I reported it to Scamwatch but as the useless ACCC failed to act, I then contacted the various websites that were advertising the scam and requested that they stop.
It appears that it has finally happened as I have not seen any examples of the scam for some time.
Why not invite your contacts to join the Choice Community forum so they can be informed of various issues that affect consumers.
2 Likes
Welcome to the forum and it is great you were able to reverse the payment before it was too late. To is also good to see ANZ are proactive when they see such payments at their end.
Hopefully others will see the great work @Fred123 is doing to try and keep others up to date with current bitcoin scams…as they tend to change as often as the days of the week.
If his posts save one person (well maybe another) from their scam, it will all be worthwhile as these scammers are professional, don’t care about the people they rip off, or that it is often hard earned money and lifetime savings they steal.
3 Likes
An article regarding the cryptocurrency scams and how they operate.
I personally find it hard to believe that anyone could be so greedy and gullible so as to fall for these scams, let alone throw away some $670,000. It is certainly a manifestation of the old saying regarding a fool and their money.
Of course organisations such as the national jokes, the ACCC & ASIC, do nothing to help prevent this occuring. I reported these scams to Scamwatch in June last year but they never bothered to post any warnings on the Scamwatch website or to send any emails alerts.
And ASIC is just as useless as quoted in the article.
"Australian authorities were notified about HybridReserve, but the information seemingly failed to filter back to Jane’s bank — the Commonwealth Bank — or even ASIC.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said it received 25 reports about HybridReserve last year, and first notified ASIC on January 1 — but it only publicly listed HybridReserve as an entity you should not deal with on November 25.
This is despite details about HybridReserve being listed on the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) investor alerts portal on March 4, at least a month before Jane made her first major transfer.
Belgian financial authorities flagged it even earlier, in February."
The Keystone Cops could achieve more than this collective of clowns.
3 Likes
It is easy to blame the victim.
It is easy to blame the regulators.
At the end of the day, the blame rests with the scammers.
It is fair to ask why it took so long for ASIC to list this as a scam. Are they under-resourced? Is this kind of investigation not a priority? Some legitimate reason?
However I suggest that even if this “investment” had already been listed by ASIC as a scam, it wouldn’t have helped “Jane” because I suggest “Jane” didn’t do due diligence anyway.
So in the meantime, here’s a few tips (not intended as financial advice).
- If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
- If it is proactively promoted to you, be suspicious. Facebook (social media) is not a good source of investment suggestions.
- If you don’t truly understand what you are investing in and how it makes money, don’t invest.
- Diversification is your friend. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. If $670,000 is your life’s savings then don’t invest it all in one thing.
- Any time you invest overseas, bear in mind that you are more or less giving up all protections offered by Australian law.
4 Likes
Possibly another is don’t enter any financial arrangements without meeting the person offering the services (either an Australian agent of or the company in question).
If this is not possible, which may be the case for some online transactions, seek independent advice. While independent advice has a price, it is nowhere as costly as losing ones life savings to a scammer.
3 Likes
I thought about including “seek independent advice” but there are quite a few people who have lost large amounts of money taking up investments that were recommended by a financial adviser. Hopefully that will change in the future but other tips still apply, particularly diversification.
If a person is relatively clueless and wouldn’t be able to assess investments then paying for financial advice, particularly at a fixed price or agreed hourly rate, or else at a percentage of the amount to invest, is better than losing it all in a bad investment (which may or may not be a scam).
3 Likes
Yes, there have been, but these are rare events compared to not gaining such advice and losing it all to a scammer. The later is a 100% certainty and not a rare event.
3 Likes
Hi Fred123 and all the others like phb who have contributed to this thread and SCAM ALERT . I have been in finance for many years and was asked by a friend to investigate this scam as one of her friends tried it . I came across this thread and have followed it loosely since . It was obvious to me it was a scam as they kept changing the actors used . But I really appreciate the effort that U “Fred123” and others have made on this forum to alert authorities and the websites that were posting this obscene SCAM . As u have now discovered the authorities are so LAME it hurts and I gave up several years ago as it cost me to much time and effort [money ] and court time . Well done folks and thanks again . cheers gg
7 Likes
The disgusting Bitcoin scam has been more prevelant recently.
I have messaged Goggle 3 times so far today regarding scam ads involving Chris Hemsworth and other well known persons as per my message to them below.
"This is the third time today that I have reported this disgusting Bitcoin scam to you.
Surely as the leading online advertising business globally, along with your AI developments, you could automatically reject the scam ads from these bottom-feeding scumbags and help protect vulnerable and/or gullible persons.
After all, if they are taken to the cleaners by these grubs, they will obviously not have any funds to spend with your legitimate advertisers so that you are effectively shooting yourself in the foot."
Surely their leading AI should be able to detect items from the horse’s mouth as opposed to the other end of the horse.
3 Likes
AI is good until it isn’t.
Algorithmicly (AI or otherwise) blocking stuff or rejecting stuff or doing other stuff could easily be the bane of the next generation.
Google could however use AI to flag an ad as “suspect”, but I would only be happy if that is followed up by an actual human being checking into it some more and making the decision to reject or not to reject.
3 Likes
I know it isn’t PC to do victim-blaming but $82,000 …
Only the name of the ‘celebrity’ changes.
4 Likes
