#australia
16 questions tagged with #australia
Lost my superannuation to a 'gentleman' from an expat forum on a crypto platform. How do I report this in Australia?
Hey everyone, I'm feeling really raw right now. I met someone on an expat forum about 8 months ago, a 'gentleman' who seemed really genuine and understanding. We connected over shared experiences of living abroad, and eventually, he started talking about this amazing crypto investment platform he was using. He was so convincing, showing me screenshots of daily profits, always there to 'guide' me through the initial setup and small investments. I was stupid, I know. I ended up putting in a significant chunk of my superannuation, thinking I was securing my future. For a while, the numbers looked good on their platform, then suddenly, when I tried to withdraw a larger amount, they hit me with all these 'tax' and 'compliance' fees. Now he's vanished, and the platform is unresponsive. It's all gone. I'm in Newcastle, Australia. I've heard bits and pieces about reporting to the police or some financial bodies, but it all feels so overwhelming. Has anyone in Australia dealt with something like this? What's the best way to report a crypto scam, especially when it involves my super? I just don't know where to even begin.
A company called 'Global Asset Recovery' wants a 'tax clearance fee'. Is this another scam or legit?
Ugh, I'm so tired. Lost a significant amount of money – low five figures – to an investment scam back in March. Felt like such an idiot, you know? I reported it to ASIC here in Australia, but honestly, didn't hear much back after the initial confirmation. A couple of weeks ago, I got an email from 'Global Asset Recovery'. They said they found my case details through some public database – which immediately made me suspicious, but also... hopeful. They've been really professional, sending me reports and even a 'case manager'. Now they're saying they've located my funds and can get them back, but I need to pay a 'tax clearance fee' of about 2,500 AUD to release the funds from some international holding account. They said it's a refundable fee. My gut says no, but my brain, after all this time, just wants my money back. Is this just another layer of the scam?
A company called 'Global Fraud Investigators' wants a 'regulatory compliance fee'. Is this another scam?
Hey everyone, I'm Sophie from Darwin, feeling pretty low right now. About six months ago, I got caught up in a crypto investment scam – lost nearly 15k AUD, which was basically my life savings. It was one of those 'pig butchering' things, really messed me up. I reported it to ASIC, but honestly, didn't hear much back, just the usual 'we're investigating' line. Then, out of the blue, I got an email from a company called 'Global Fraud Investigators'. They said they track these crypto scams and have a high success rate. They even knew the name of the platform I lost money on! They've been super professional on the phone, sending me 'case documents' and everything. But now they're asking for a 'regulatory compliance fee' of 1200 AUD before they can 'release' my funds. They said it's for some international anti-money laundering thing. My gut is screaming scam, but a part of me is desperate. Has anyone dealt with these guys or something similar? I really can't afford to lose more.
Is 'Global Asset Protection' asking for an 'administrative processing fee' another scam, or legit?
Okay, so I was scammed back in January, lost about 8k to some crypto investment thing, total pig butchering situation. It really messed me up, and honestly, I kinda gave up trying to get the money back after filing reports with the ASIC and the police here in Newcastle. But then last week, out of nowhere, I got an email from a company calling themselves 'Global Asset Protection'. They said they'd found my case details from a 'leaked database' of scam victims and that they could recover my funds. They even quoted the exact amount I lost, which freaked me out a bit but also made me think maybe it was real. Now they're asking for an 'administrative processing fee' of $750 before they can initiate the recovery. They say it's for 'international compliance' and can't be deducted from the recovered funds. I'm so desperate to get my money back, but after what happened, I'm super wary. Is this just another scam? My gut says no, but my hope says yes.
Lost my superannuation to a 'gentleman' from an expat forum. How do I even report this in Australia?
Feeling absolutely gutted. I met this really charming guy through a Brisbane expat forum a few months back. We got to talking, seemed really nice, shared similar backgrounds. After a while, he started talking about crypto investments, specifically 'DeFi arbitrage' on this platform called XpressTrade.io. Said he'd made a fortune and could help me too. I was hesitant, but he was so convincing, kept showing me screenshots of huge returns. Eventually, I put in a significant chunk of my superannuation – like, low six figures. It looked like it was growing, withdrawals seemed to work for small amounts, but now I can't get anything out. He's ghosted me, the website is still up but my account is frozen. I feel so stupid and embarrassed. What do I even do? I'm in Brisbane, Australia. Do I go to the AFP? Or is there something specific for these kinds of crypto scams?
Lost everything to a 'sweetheart' from a language exchange app. What's the process for reporting this to ASIC?
Feeling so gutted right now. I met this amazing woman on a language exchange app, she was teaching me Mandarin, and we just clicked. After a few weeks of chatting every day, she started talking about this 'opportunity' with crypto, showing me screenshots of insane profits. I was hesitant at first, but she was so convincing, kept saying how she wanted us to build a future together. She guided me to some platform called CoinEgg, said her 'uncle' was an expert there. I put in a bit, saw some gains, then kept putting more and more, even took out a loan. We're talking low six figures here. Now everything's gone, she's ghosted, and CoinEgg just shows zero balances. I'm in Australia, on the Gold Coast. I feel so stupid and ashamed. I know I should report it, but honestly, where do I even begin with ASIC? What info do they even need? I'm just so lost.
Unregulated broker won't let me withdraw 'profits' without a 'fund authentication fee'. Scam?
Hey everyone, I'm in a bit of a panic here. I've been 'trading' with this platform I found online, they said they were a forex broker. Things seemed to be going really well, my account balance just kept growing, which felt amazing. I tried to withdraw some of the 'profits' – just a few thousand to test the waters – and now they're saying I need to pay a 'fund authentication fee' before they can process it. They're asking for about 15% of the withdrawal amount. I'm based in Adelaide, Australia. I originally funded the account with crypto (USDT) because they pushed for it, which in hindsight was probably a red flag. I've sent them a few messages asking for clarification, but they're just repeating the same thing. I haven't paid it yet, but I'm worried if I don't, I'll lose everything. Has anyone encountered this specific fee before? Is this just how unregulated brokers operate, or am I being scammed? Any advice would be huge.
Met a 'kind' woman on a social media forum, now all my crypto is gone via 'AEX Exchange'. Any hope?
I'm feeling so stupid and ashamed, you guys. Met this woman on a photography social media forum back in January. We really hit it off, talked for months. She seemed so genuine, shared pictures of her 'life' in Asia, said she was a successful investor. Eventually, she got me into crypto, specifically this platform called 'AEX Exchange'. Started with small amounts, saw some 'returns', which I even withdrew once, so I thought it was legit. Then she convinced me to put in a significant sum, like my life savings, talking about a 'limited-time opportunity'. We're talking low six figures here. Poof. Gone. Can't withdraw anything. Support just gives me the runaround or demands more 'taxes'. I'm based in Perth. I've reported it to the local police, but they didn't seem to know much about crypto. Should I bother reporting it to anyone else, like ASIC or the AFP, or is it just a lost cause?
A company called 'Global Funds Recovery' wants an 'advance tax payment' to get my crypto back. Legit?
Feeling pretty desperate here. I got absolutely rinsed in a crypto investment scam back in March – lost about $8k AUD, everything I'd saved. Reported it to ASIC, but didn't really hear much back. Then last week, I get this email from a company calling themselves 'Global Funds Recovery'. They said they found my case through a 'public database' and could help get my money back. They seemed really professional, had a fancy website, everything. They've been in touch with me and now they're saying they've successfully traced my funds to a wallet and can recover them, but I need to pay an 'advance tax payment' of like, 10% of the recovered amount before they can release it to me. They even sent me a 'certificate' that looks kinda official. They want me to send it in crypto, which feels a bit off again. Is this standard for recovering lost crypto? Or is this another scam trying to get more money out of me? I'm so paranoid now, I don't know who to trust.
My 'broker' FXChoice is demanding a 'regulatory compliance bond' to release my profits. Scam?
Hey everyone, I'm really freaking out here. I got into forex trading a few months ago after seeing an ad on social media. This guy, 'Michael', started chatting with me and recommended FXChoice. I put in about $3k, and he 'helped' me make some amazing trades. My account dashboard now shows like $25k profit, which is insane. But when I tried to withdraw, they said I needed to pay a 'regulatory compliance bond' of 15% of my profits, like $3,750, to prove I'm not doing anything illegal. They say it's a new rule for international withdrawals and it's fully refundable after 30 days. Michael is saying it's standard and I should just pay it to get my money. My gut feeling is screaming scam, but the profits look so real. Has anyone experienced this with FXChoice or any other broker? Is this a genuine thing, or am I about to lose even more money?
Anyone recovered funds from a fake job offer scam with Nethertrace?
Feeling pretty awful right now. I fell for one of those fake job offer scams, you know, where they tell you to 'invest' a bit of crypto to 'unlock' higher commissions? Ended up losing a significant amount, like, low five figures. I was so convinced it was legitimate, they had a whole fake company website, 'HR' people, the works. I'm embarrassed to even admit how much I transferred over several weeks. I've been doing some research and came across [Nethertrace](https://nethertrace.co). They seem to specialize in this kind of thing, but I'm super wary after being scammed once already. Has anyone here used Nethertrace for a fake job offer or similar investment scam recovery? I'm in Perth, Australia, and really need some hope that these funds aren't just gone forever.
My 'broker' is asking for a 'digital asset protection fee' to release my crypto. Legit?
Feeling so stupid right now. I got into crypto trading through some ad on Instagram, and this guy 'helped' me set up an account with a platform called FXChoice. Everything seemed fine, even made some decent 'profits' on paper, like, low five figures. So I tried to withdraw a small amount last week, just to test the waters, right? And they're telling me I need to pay a 'digital asset protection fee' first. They said it's like an insurance or a security measure, a percentage of my total profit, before they can process *any* withdrawal. It sounds super dodgy, but they have all my supposed 'funds' locked up. They even sent me an 'official-looking' document about this fee, but it's not from any regulator I recognize. Has anyone else encountered this with FXChoice or any other platform? Is this a new scam tactic? I'm worried if I pay it, they'll just come up with another excuse. I'm based in Sydney, so not sure who to even report this to if it's a scam. Any advice would be appreciated.
Lost everything to a 'future partner' from a dating app, now my money is gone from a fake investment platform – any hope from Australia?
I'm gutted. Absolutely gutted. I met someone on a dating app a few months ago, and we really connected. They seemed perfect, talked about a future, even hinted at moving closer to me here on the Gold Coast. After a while, they started talking about this amazing crypto investment platform, 'ZG.com', saying they were making a fortune and I should join them so we could build our future together faster. I put in a bit at first, saw the 'returns', got excited, then transferred nearly all my savings – about $40k AUD – into it. This was over several weeks, you know? It felt so real. Now, the site's gone. The person's gone. My money's gone. I feel so stupid, so ashamed. My partner, my actual partner, is trying to be supportive but I can see the disappointment. I'm in Australia. I've heard about AFP, but what even can they do? Is there any point reporting this, or am I just screaming into the void? I just want to know if there's any hope, or if I should just accept it.
Lost my life savings to a 'mentor' from a professional networking app, fake crypto platform. Should I even bother reporting from Australia?
I met someone on a professional networking app back in November last year. Seemed really legitimate, talked about career goals, investing in future tech, all that good stuff. He quickly became a 'mentor', really. After a few weeks, he introduced me to this 'exclusive' crypto platform, not CoinEgg or anything, a different one, with supposed high returns. I was hesitant at first, but he was so convincing, always had answers, even showed me screenshots of his own 'profits'. Long story short, I put in about $4,000 to start, saw fake gains, then he pushed me to invest more, like, my superannuation. I know, I know. I pulled out my life savings, about $150,000 AUD, and transferred it in over a couple of months. Now the platform is gone, his profile is gone, and I'm left with nothing. I'm in Newcastle, Australia. I feel like such an idiot. Is it even worth reporting to ASIC or anyone? Will anything even happen?
My 'broker' is demanding a 'platform license fee' to release my crypto profits. Is this legit or a new scam?
Hi everyone, I'm feeling sick to my stomach about this. I've been trading crypto through an online platform that was recommended by someone I met on Instagram. Everything seemed fine for a while, I saw my account balance grow pretty significantly, which I was super excited about. I tried to withdraw about $3,000 the other day, and suddenly the 'support team' messaged me saying I need to pay a 'platform license fee' of about 15% of my balance before they can process any withdrawals. They're saying it's for 'regulatory compliance' and that without it, my funds are locked indefinitely. It sounds really fishy to me. I've already put a decent amount into this. Has anyone heard of this before? Is this a new scam tactic or am I just being paranoid? I'm in Newcastle, Australia, if that helps.
Met a guy on an online forum, he disappeared with my crypto from a fake platform. What now from Australia?
I'm feeling so stupid right now, you guys. Met this guy, named 'Michael', on a gardening forum, of all places. We started chatting, moved to WhatsApp, and honestly, we talked for months. He was so supportive, seemed genuinely interested in my life. Then he started talking about crypto, like it was this amazing opportunity. He convinced me to put money into this platform he called 'WealthFlowPro'. It looked legit enough – charts, transactions, everything. I put in about AUD $5,000 to start, then another $10,000 when he said there was a 'special event'. I even saw it growing! But when I tried to withdraw, the site just stopped responding. And 'Michael'? Ghosted. His WhatsApp is gone. The website is gone. I'm in Canberra and feel totally lost. I've reported it to the AFP, but is there *anything* else I should be doing? I keep thinking back to all our conversations, the plans we made. It feels like my heart was broken and my bank account was emptied all at once. Any advice on what steps to take next would be really helpful.