The constant search for profitable schemes is a basis for anyone who wants to make money on P2P. However, inexperienced traders often find it difficult to search for unique strategies. That’s why they often look into ready-made solutions on the Internet. Utilizing someone else’s experience is an excellent approach. However, one should be skeptical of overly tempting offers.
In this article, we will talk about a fraudulent scheme involving fake platforms that newcomers fall victim to. And, of course, we will share tips on how to prevent your earnings from scammers.
How Scammers Do It
The scheme targets inexperienced traders in the P2P arbitrage sphere. Scammers offer you to buy cryptocurrency on a well-known exchange platform and sell it at a much more favorable rate on a lesser-known exchange.
But how do scammers convince users of easy and guaranteed profits? Fake platforms often masquerade as genuine ones that have already established themselves as reliable. They impose limits and restrictions to make the transaction appear more realistic. To attract new clients, fraudsters actively use content to build trust, including positive comments.
Sometimes scammers resort to a well-known trick. If the amount is small, they return it to the user’s account to lower their guard. And then, when the client develops trust and conducts a more significant transaction, they steal his money.
One can come across this fraudulent scheme on social networks, chats, or messenger channels. Still, the main platform for engaging inexperienced users is YouTube, where scammers manage to reach the largest number of trusting individuals.
Fraudulent schemes in YouTube videos
Typically, the audience learns about “profitable” P2P arbitrage strategy through YouTube videos. The message for future victims is usually the same: easy earnings through P2P arbitrage with guaranteed high profits. Why do users fall for this bait?
Scammers hijack existing channels and create an illusion of reliability and authenticity for their accounts. They utilize eye-catching, professionally-made cover images, artificially inflated views, and flattering reviews. The fact that the channel was created a long ago and there are several videos adds to the trust factor.
But it is still possible to recognize the scammers. Here’s what to pay attention to.
Too Attractive Profit
Often, the description or title of the malicious video advertises how to get a big profit for a short time. It does not mean that all similar offers are the work of scammers. However, it should be the first signal not to rush into purchasing assets.
Upload Time of the Video
Videos with descriptions of fraudulent schemes are quickly banned, so it’s worth noting the upload time – such videos are often less than a week old. However, this is not an absolute criterion. Sometimes, scammers promote the content long after publication to increase trust.
Triggers in the Title
Captivating words and phrases in the video titles are meant to grab attention and are not always directly related to fraudulent attempts. Ultimately, each user decides how much trust to place in content with triggers like “FOR BEGINNERS,” “MAKE 60K PER DAY,” “EASY PROFIT” “BEST STRATEGY,” or even “NEW BEST STRATEGY.”
Description
Identical video descriptions on different channels may signal hijacking. Scammers often provide links to two exchanges, one popular and one lesser-known. Verify the clickability of these links. Additionally, be cautious of video descriptions containing links to Telegram channels that offer a variety of content, including clickbait headlines, cryptocurrency news, and promises of fast earnings, as they may be unreliable sources.
Channel Content
If scammers have hijacked a channel, old videos may be hidden or deleted, even if the channel was created long ago. If the videos are available, but the channel’s content and the time gap between video uploads have drastically changed, it may also indicate a hijacking.
Views
Another characteristic of malicious content is the varying number of views on the videos. It occurs when some videos are promoted, while others rely solely on SEO optimization or await their turn.
Comments
An abundance of positive comments under the videos may inspire trust, but their uniformity should raise a red flag. If you cannot verify the authenticity of the authors, try searching for information about the speaker or the exchange independently. It will help you better understand whether to trust the content or not.
Hashtags
To appear more frequently in search results, creators list all relevant keywords related to the topic.
Summing up
Of course, YouTube blocks unsafe videos, including those reported by users. However, even in a matter of days or weeks, a fake exchange scheme manages to generate significant profits for the fraudsters. One of the reasons users fall for the tricks of scammers is their unwillingness or lack of time to study p2p exchange offers. It is really hard to get into all the details of the p2p market at once and to check participants for safety all the more so.
Monetory exchange offer aggregator is here to help you. The service gathers and organizes offers from various exchanges, P2P platforms, and local exchangers. You can also check the reliability of the participants’ transactions by applying a special filter to the selection. All decisions are made by you based on market offers and your experience.
And to help you develop your skills in p2p arbitrage, we have created Monetory.Puzzle – a constructing software where you can track, systematize and create your strategies.
Avoid fraudulent schemes, and may the profit be with you!
