#apex-trade-global

My 'broker' is asking for a 'capital gains tax pre-payment' to release my profits. Scam or normal?

Alright, so I (i guess stupidly, looking back) got involved with this online trading platform, 'ApexTrade Global', after seeing some ads on social media. They were super pushy at first, promised insane returns on crypto and forex. I put in a bit of money, then another chunk, and somehow, it actually *looked* like i was making profits really quickly. Logged into the platform and my balance was showing a low five-figure sum, which felt surreal. Now, I tried to withdraw some of it, maybe like a quarter of the balance. And surprise, surprise, they're telling me I can't. They sent me an email saying before any funds can be released, I need to pay a "capital gains tax pre-payment" directly to them. They're saying it's standard procedure for international gains. My heart sank, tbh. It feels like a trap. Is this a thing? Do legit brokers ask you to pay your tax to *them* before you can withdraw? I'm in Halifax, Canada, and I've never heard of anything like this. My stomach's in knots.