Without much ado - here's the Scamsi.... sorry - erm - Business Opportunity!
Looks lovely doesn't it. A sort of hitech Take on what used to be the Preserve of the Open Toed Sandal, chunky Jumper, Folk Music and real Ale People we always used to associate with Ecopolitics. Except further Scrutiny shows that it isn't what it seems.....
Firstly; how about these two Fellas with the Laptop?
Hmm, so where's the Corporate Logo on the Portable then? The thing is these Blokes don't actually work for Biohourly.biz at all. The Pic comes from Alamy Images - "2 Businessmen with Wind Turbine Celebrating" according to the Caption. So - sorry folks - Biohourly aren't some huge Renewable Energy Consortium with custom made Computers.
Then there's that very modern looking Office huh - I mean, it must be real if they're based somewhere like that......
It might be, except here's a Photo of 18-19 Crimscott Street, London - the alleged Address of the Company.
Yeah, difficult to imagine that Office Scene here isn't it - but someone might say "awe - but Google Earth can be a few years old, and maybe they've built Offices there since". Indeed, but when we do the - erm "Tour" and are shown this.....
It's actually a shared Office Hub Space in Queen Street, Auckland, New Zealand. They do get around - particularly when the Building in their Photo is in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
How about some of the People?
Does this Fella realise that he's become a Woman? This is Ms Vera Schorrmann apparently, but when you do some Google Images Search you will find some very surprising Results - including what must be the most awful Music Video I've probably ever seen.
Then there's the - erm - Biohourly Fab 4....... these expert Financial Wizz People who will make your Eco-economy Dreams come true....right?
Oh, it looks like the Fab 4 have become the - slightly less Fab 3 - maybe they split through "irreconcilable musical Differences" etc, drone, blah. They get around too - even appearing on some German Book Cover about Business.
So there you have it, a quick guide to one of many Bitcoin Hyip Scams. I could mention how the % changes when you click "Investments" - or the not so good Grammar which you wouldn't expect from these everso professional People. Think I preferred the Open Sandal, chunky Jumper, Folk Music and real Ale People. As for this lot - "Don't, don't, don't believe the Hyip" - you just "Can't truss it!"
It also shows what a Scam the New Age can be - or what it has become!
This prompts a Question......
ReplyDeleteWhois tells you which IP Address these Scams use. It also tells you which Webhosting Company and Server. There's one in particular that has been hosting Internet Fraud for at least 10 years - so if all any Enforcement Agencies have to do is pull the Plug on it and subpoena their Records to find out who the Whois who have been paying them for their Services why haven't they done it?
Yep, it's as simple as that. That the Internet Mafia can only function because it's all going on in a Metal Box - not Star Wars or some nebulous Region in so called Cyberspace, somewhere riven with impenetrable Geekspeak - but a Metal Box that can shut down as easily as your Desktop would if you unplugged it. A Subpoena means they can't hide behind any Protocols they buy which provides anonymity while this isn't some Drug Gang hiding in a Project or a bunch of Armed Robbers. They're Computer Technicians based in a Building that everyone knows about.
These People are having Peoples Pensions, Savings, Student Loans/Grants, Rent Money, Welfare Checks, Minimum Wage Salary for a Week and anyone who can scrape a few Currency Units together to subscribe. Some of them have got very fat and rich on the Proceeds. I sometimes ask whether the aforementioned Scam explains the sleek Yippies of recent years too! I also think some of that might be linked with Scamtown.
I have to say though that some HYIP Scammers are choosing their - erm - Locations rather more selectively. There must be some secret Branch Line going from Holborn Tube Station that leads straight to Nakamoto Satoshi's Wallet. If you go into Zara in Kensington High Street and use some Password, a Nod ad a Wink, the Manager takes you into a sort of Jodrell Bank meets Wall Street Trading Room, while there's another where you can trade Bitcoin while you have your Hair done apparently. There must be some very p***** of People elsewhere in London though who get Visits from eager People waving Digital Humphrey Davey Lamps and wearing Hard Hats with Headlights on them.
ReplyDeleteAnd while there are Eco-BTC Scams - I seem to have discovered another that somehow involves the Beatles!
ReplyDeleteDon't call me John!
Is that Mr or Mrs Powell?
Meanwhile, another - erm - 'Business Opportunity' were so selective and discerning about their 'Location' they chose a Bank Deposit Company. The difference between them and any real Bank Deposit Company - including the Unfortunates this attached itself to - is while one will let you access your Money, Valuables, Documents, Keepsakes etc the other certainly won't. If you see that particular Company online somewhere you'll need a bit more than a Key and Fingerprint ID to even get your Deposit back probably! The Companies House Documents are probably fake - while the Website seems full of the usual nonsense you get with these things. Someone else on it seems to have undergone Transgenderisation or a sudden Namechage - while I thought Yul Brynner was in "The Magnificent 7".
ReplyDeleteYou'll be sorry more like!
Here's something you should look for if you browse the HYIP Monitors and that's the Amount paid out if the HYIP has "Paying" Status. Most of these Sites have a load of rectangular shaped Banners with the myriad Monitors, the HYIP and whether they are "Paying", "Not Paying", "Waiting" or "Problem" on them. When you see "Paying" check any Stats their Website might show for recent Payouts. You might see a long List of them and it looks impressive. Check again the Amounts. What I've noticed is most of them are usually less than a Dollar. You'll see Figures like $0.60, $0.20, while there might be one or two that could be a GDP altering $1.80 etc. Hmmm, suddenly not so......!
ReplyDeleteThis is a bit weird considering the Claims the HYIP makes about %s in their different Plans.
For example; if you were monitoring a HYIP and put $50 into an "800% after 24 Hours" Program you'd want to see if you could withdraw the $400 it would yield so you can tell your Viewers that they do indeed pay out the Amount their Site claims to. Many say they invested up to "$200". So why all these Nickel and Dime Payments? If you were running a Scam it would cost you less than $20 to 'show' that you paid out on this or that Date on anything up to 30 HYIP Monitors. That's even less than someones $50 Deposit.
And when they aren't setting up these Scams......, sorry, Business Opportunities they're putting out Garbage masquerading as Bitcoin Generators. This really is Binary Options Autotraders - the Sequel as YouTube is saturated in supposed 'Live Demos' of these - erm - 'Programs' working. They throw Words like "Real, True, etc" just to - y'know, reassure you, then one - or several - things happen.
ReplyDeleteThe worst is probably how they're almost all Viruses. Even the Websites carrying this Nonsense sometimes set off your Anti-virus Program. Then, if you even can install it it only works if you deactivate both that and Windows Defender. Why do we have to this if it's a harmless Program you have to ask? They can also severely disrupt your Computer - change your Browser, settings etc and act as a conduit for loads of Trashware and irrelevant Programs. There was one which started deleting Stuff, and creating loads of Browsers until the Computer seized up completely. Another which even changed the Wallet Address when you pasted it into the required Field, even when you tried pasting it into Notepad.
Then there are those endless Surveys, which are very intrusive, almost turning you inside out as you are "almost finished", then "almost finished" and....... but no Software. Someone somewhere is getting your Details when all this happens, while is someone scanning your Computer as a few Minutes seems to turn into Hours? These are supposed to verify that you are Human - except why can't they use a Captcha like any other Website does?
People will sell you these things, but if they make all this Money why are they charging you anything for them?
Then there are these YouTube Videos, and to the untrained eye they can look very plausible. One which is sufficiently blurred so you can't see what they do when they enter an Address their supposed 'Bot' will pay to. Another where we don't actually see the Program working and them withdrawing to their Bitcoin Account as they cut to some online Newspaper. Someone 'shows' you your Money going into a Blockchain Account - except Bitcoin takes up to 80 Minutes to reach its Destination so the so called 'Payment' is fake.
So a Combination of Editing, Camera tricks and maybe even some Computer Animation has created an online Bazaar of shysters and con-artists.
Also, has anyone noticed how some of these HYIPs are Wordpress Blogsites with rather a lot of Widgets?
Here's a particularly horrible one to avoid.....
ReplyDeletehttps://appgametools.com/bitcoin-generator-2016-no-survey-bitcoin/#comment-192
I'll say this.......
ReplyDeleteWhen we worked with Currency we worked with real Currency - stuff you could spend in a Shop, buy Property with, feed and clothe your Family with - all those things. Not only was it real Currency - and rather a lot of it - it was worth more than 'real' Currency now because it had to be supported by the Gold and Silver Reserves.
The Effect Bitcoin seems to have is something of a Mirage. A Ruse hyped up and put online so People spend Hours trying to find something somewhere in it that might make them some of this elusive digital Currency. They spend that time doing that rather than anything else, but - y'know, there's always that hope that maybe one day..........
These supposed Bitcoin Generators are a Scam - while some seem to have Tumorous "Free Stuff" attached to it. (WRM - is that Worm with the vowel removed?). No Coin of course - just clutter for your Email and Mobile Phone. I've also noticed how my Monthly Phone Contact seems to have been used up and extra Charges added. This was concurrent to these supposed 'Surveys' and considering I get 500 Minutes, unlimited Texts and 20GB of Internet something somewhere linked to this must be very expensive.
So as someone whose People worked with real Money - and someone who has seen all the real Stuff go elsewhere - if this On-screen Finance is supposed to a Substitute for all that it's a very lame one!
I'm starting to think that Blockchain - the Bitcoin Wallet Company - are somehow involved in these Scams. After all, how can they remain ignorant of how they are used to facilitate these things when the Internet and YouTube are saturated with them? Every one of them have a Blockchain Account - which they always show you in their Videos as 'Proof' of Money paid. Somewhere in the Scam they will tell you that you need to open a Wallet Account and it is always a Blockchain Link on their Website/YouTube Description.
ReplyDeleteThis is a Ploy used by Binary Options Companies touting for People's Deposits. They put out some Scambot (Copy Buffet, Binary Options Robot, Binadroid etc) - Autotraders that get you to open a trading Account which sooner or later will empty.
When you open your Blockchain Account and your Bitcoin is scammed into another Blockchain Account that Money stays in Blockchain. You opened an Account because the Scammer suggested you did via their Weblink. Also, it could be editing or a sort of YouTube Timelapse Photography showing those 'instant Payments' we see - or they have some Arrangement with the Scam so payments are processed instantly. Usually it takes about an Hour - rather like something I tried today - which wasn't as instant as the Video suggested at all. The Confirmation Email took at least an Hour to arrive.
The thing is Bitcoin is built completely on Trust because it isn't regulated like Fiat Currency is. If these Scams compromise that they also compromise Bitcoin. Th e Australian Government have begun moves to regulate the Currency in their Country because too many People were being scammed. If it continues and the Bitcoin Community don't put their House in order the same thing will happen everywhere else, or it will be closed down completely. People might say "But they can't close down a Currency" - my reply would be "No?..... when was the last time you used a Lira, Deutschmark, Drachma, Franc, Peseta, Punt etc?" and these were legit, regulated Currencies some had been using for Centuries!
People browse the Internet or visit their Email and find someone is promoting an Autotrader that is sometimes "100% Guaranteed" to make successful Binary Options Trades, so you open an Account you might never have done otherwise. You browse YouTube and come across a Video showing Bitcoin being multiplied or generated from nothing, so called "Scripts" that place winning Bets on Gambling Sites and guess what.... you do the same thing. First you get your Bitcoin Wallet Account (Blockchain) and secondly, even an online Gambling Site Account. Either way you deposit Money with someone or other you wouldn't have done otherwise. These "Scripts" claim to win with the free Bitcoin the Site gives you - until you try using it and it asks you for a minimum Deposit.
ReplyDeleteToday, I was told I could have a Refund if the Program didn't work, except it's a bit (all puns intended) difficult to ask for one when "Live Chat" - which worked faultlessly before a Deposit was made - starts getting very flaky for some reason. Hmmm, I live in hope that this Promise will be kept - but I'm starting to think that the "Live Chat" could be a Ruse to make something seem more plausible.
They have about 15 Hours to make good their Promise - their 'Support' says it can take 24 Hours to reply (shame their "Live Chat" isn't as reliable after People deposit). After that we depth charge it to the surface and open fire on them. In other words they lose their Anonymity and are rendered useless as a Scam - if that's what they are!
ReplyDeleteHere's a quote from someone commenting on YouTube about all this....
ReplyDelete"Seriously wish people would stop posting this crap and rather help with real info. Not a single vid I've seen on YouTube about this, works even if the supposedly claim that the info they give is free. There's always some offer or restriction or reason for a payment but either way, you always draw the short straw while they earn on the referral link. DON'T FALL FOR THIS!! If you disagree with me, I dare you to prove a working system to me where you don't have to waste days and be content to earn pennies or cents... Will be posting this comment on every single video/tutorial/strategy I come across until proven wrong!!"
Hear, hear - all those horrible People showing you all that Gak that doesn't work - and what's particularly irritating is that awful Trading 212 Commercial - those fake Hippies who remind me of what we have living here now, all part of the same Scam!
Meanwhile, I had an Email from one of these HYIP Companies (after about a Week) telling me they don't charge Withdrawal Fees like those on "Bitcoin Scammers" did, except where would I be sending any Money? A PO Box Office in London, a Bungalow in Scottsdale, Arizona or some Bloke in Wu Han, China? Also, rather like what has just happened here someone commented on January 20th that their Deposit wasn't showing in their Account. This doesn't mean it hasn't been sent, it's gone somewhere - but not where it was supposed to. They can't 'invest' it because it isn't there to invest, but they can't use it for anything else either!
ReplyDeleteAlso, it seems the Royal Mail are somehow dragged into this as their Depot in Emma Street, east London is now HYIP HQ for another of these!
I think the Commentator and the rest of us should start a YouTube Campaign to get someone to begin posting Stuff that is useful. I also resent the Implication made by one of these 'Gurus' where the Word "Lazy" was used. She should try researching all of this until whatever Hour in the hope some of it might work.
ReplyDeleteAs for these Bitcoin Doublers - what is suspicious about them is how they have a minimum Deposit of 0.1BTC. Why, when even if you deposited $10 that becomes $20, which becomes $40, $80 - $160, $320 - so in 5 days you have made enough Money to live on and haven't faced the potential Scam of $80? If its Programming doubles Bitcoin then it should double any amount so rather than a 10th of a Bitcoin what is wrong with a 100th? At least then if it is a Scam or it doesn't work it's far less painful.
24 Hours later and I still haven't heard from the People behind the Software so I can only conclude it is a Scam.
ReplyDeleteI have emailed them many times, even using another Address, while their "Live Chat" doesn't work. They haven't bothered to reply.
I don't need to reiterate what I have written previously but the Program involved is called https://bitcoin-x2.com/ and their supposed "Helping People" amounts to nothing more than helping themselves to everyone's Money.
Still no Reply to any Refund Requests. Same thing has happened to other People too!
ReplyDeleteIt seems here's another Scam......
ReplyDeletehttps://btcenter.biz/?a=cust&page=aboutus
This lot have got a bit more sophisticated, but while the above had its "Live Chat" (since disabled after I wrote this - even if you use a new Browser and open a different Account) they have a supposed Support Line you can phone. The Problem is, while you can phone it and it does work (so not just a faked random Selection of Numbers) you end up speaking to an exasperated Fella who tells you he gets about 20 Calls a day from People wanting to know where their Money is.
The other Number seems to be that of a Hong Kong based Scam called 700BTC - who even the Monitors say isn't paying.
The bit on the Website that tells you to contact a Line Manager if you can't log in to your Account is a pre-emptive Stave against Criticism about other Scams where you suddenly can't access your Account to withdraw Funds. So the fake Phone Number and this should tell to not to have anything to do with it.
Has anyone been able to contact "John" or "Cameron" at Bitcoin-x2 yet? Oh, and they're not based in San Francisco at all, at least the owner isn't. The Registrant lives in Vilnius, Lithuania! I still send Emails until they make good their Agreement to refund me 0.1 BTC - which shouldn't be a big deal really - after all, it's Money I gave them so they're not even out of Pocket.
Meanwhile, if the HYIP puts an Address on their Website, and they decide to use somewhere which could house a Company (Office Blocks, Business Centers etc) here's a very useful Site to check if they are based there.....
ReplyDeletehttp://www.companieshousedata.co.uk/a/1213
It's free to use and shows every Business trading from that Premises. Suffice to say that if theirs doesn't appear there they obviously aren't. They use this when People verify via something like Google Earth to see where they might be and People see they are in a Council House in Ilseworth or something - which for Research is considerably less aggravation than having to go there. For the sake of the real Occupants - who must get as exasperated as the Fella having to tell People not to send Money to a Company that gave his Phone Number as theirs - please use it. It saves you and them the awkwardness of turning up at someone House or Flat wanting to start or ask about a Trading Account.
This is why I wish this Website was as viral as the Scammers seem to be, so People can read this and not be induced into losing Money. HYIP Monitors promote them on theirs for a Fee and a referral Commission. I mentioned earlier that they seem to prey on those who don't have very much Money.
ReplyDeleteI say this because of how, once they have your Deposit and the Investment Period has expired quite a few seem to ask for another Deposit - usually more than the initial one - so you can access any Money at all. "Bitcoin Scammers" (see Post) shows an exchange I had with a HYIP Admin when I tried withdrawing the Proceeds from a 24 Hour Program they ran. My initial Investment of $50 had yielded $300, but when i tried withdrawing $250 - leaving $50 for a Reinvest - I was asked for another $150. So I give them $150 and receive $300. Where in all this have I made any Money, plus they still have my Deposit? Also, I would have to find the $150 to do this. This means they are getting People to make modest Investments they then can't access until they make a more Immodest one. It's as if your Money goes in to support their existing Customers - who are probably making more lucrative Money from it like they know many People who can only afford $50 can ONLY afford $50.
Here's another Trick they use - whether its intentional or not....
A HYIP might decide to close but it's Website is still online and active. Because Bitcoin Payments are non-refundable you might sign up and make a Deposit to a Wallet Address which is also active, but there isn't any Work done with it as described on their Site. Someone somewhere is making Money for a Service they no longer provide. I found one where this seems to be happening and you have to research elsewhere to see if it is still active.....which it wasn't.
When I say non-refundable I mean Bitcoin Payments Exchanges like Xapo, Blockchain, Coinbase, and the many others don't do a Chargeback like Credit or Debit Card Companies do. Once that Payment is made Companies who process it like Insight don't reverse it in the Event of a Dispute. It isn't like using Paypal either - who were brilliant when an Internet Company were misrepresenting their Products when it came to Payment. They will get a Refund for you.
ReplyDeleteBitcoin is built completely on Trust - like I entrust Bitcoin-x2 to make good their Promise of a Refund if their Program doesn't work. It is completely at their Discretion to do this - sending it via their Bitcoin Account to mine. Because they haven't done this that Trust is compromised, while the irresponsibility of the Exchange Providers is negligent. If Digital Currency isn't going to be the Domain of Scammers and Skimmers then these Companies should operate a similar System the Card Companies and Paypal do otherwise they will end up being involuntarily regulated as has happened in Australia recently. Paypal also suspend Accounts by Vendors they suspect of Fraud, so do Debit Cards and Western Union - so surely, the Bitcoin Companies doing same might be a Deterrent against this.
Meanwhile, I'll give one HYIP 10 out of 10 for Audaciousness. They put their 'Address' as Threadneedle St London EC2R 8AH, United Kingdom. For anyone who doesn't know that is the Office of the Bank of England. (Trying to imagine Receptionists having to deal with irate HYIP Customers wanting their Money)
"No, sorry - we might be the Bank of England but you can't make a withdrawal here!". Not surprisingly they seem to be another that might or might not still be active.
Still no Refund from these People......
ReplyDeleteRegistrant Name: Mantas Berzinis
Registrant Organization:
Registrant Street: Vilniaus g. 16
Registrant City: Vievis
Registrant State/Province: Vievio raj.
Registrant Postal Code: 21372
Registrant Country: LT
Registrant Phone: +370.37065808667
Meanwhile, there's another HYIP where everything works on the Website, Plans also do, Withdrawal Requests appear in "Pending" almost instantly - but when they are removed (presumably because they have been sent) nothing arrives in any Wallet Address or elsewhere on their Website. They have Lists of Payouts and Payees and they don't appear there either. Admin won't reply to countless, quite reasonable Emails asking where they are sending it - so what is happening with this Money they are sending?
ReplyDelete"Withdrawal Request" Email is meaningless - because they are automatically sent by their Server when one is made. Is someone actually clicking "send" at their end and using the right Wallet Address when they do?
Do they also automatically disappear from the Pending List after about 24 Hours?
I've emailed their Admin many times to find out where this Money is being sent - but to no avail.
This isn't some crappy Song by her from Neighbours either - it's potential Internet Fraud. I would like to write something positive about Bitcoin - but am struggling to find anything positive to say about it.
If the Bitcoin Community want to save it then I suggest they lobby their Service Providers to have the same Facilities any Debit or Credit Card Company has - where a Chargeback is available in a Dispute. Paypal enforce a Refund when this happens. That those Providers have the same Sanctions fiat Currency Structures do against Fraudsters.
ReplyDeleteWhat we are seeing is Speculation about Bitcoin being X whatever Value it might be now by the end of the year, 5 years, 10 etc - so People buy Coin in the hope that it will increase hugely in less than a year. Exactly the same as Wall Street in the 1920's with Stocks and Shares or the Property vis a vis Securities Market a few years ago. Concurrent to this is a veritable and toxic Glop of Shysters wanting to scam you of that Coin.
People dealing with fiat Currency are accountable, those dealing with Bitcoin aren't - and that is wrong!
While Google Earth can show you where these Programs 'claim' to be based and http://www.companieshousedata.co.uk/a/1213 verifies anyone trading in an Office Block or Address another useful online Utility is this....
ReplyDeletehttps://blockchain.info/
If you've been considering using a HYIP, first; type the HYIP Name (ie; Scamcoin.biz, Sleazecoin.com etc) in your Browser and then "Whois" (without the Commas) and Google will give you several Websites to choose from. Click on any one of these and find the IP Address. Copy it - then go to the Blockchain Info Site, paste it into "Search" and it will tell you if any Money has been paid out from that Address. If it says......
Transactions Relayed By 198.252.111.255 Transactions that were relayed first by the ip 198.252.111.255
and the Screen shows no Results no Money has been paid out from there. This means that while People might be paying to it - that Address isn't paying them. I did this with several HYIPs the 'Monitors' recommend and the same thing appears, so they aren't telling you anything. What this also implies is that the Scammers are selling those Coins for fiat Currency - probably with a Google Wallet - which won't show in the Blockchain either because they become conventional Currency ($,£,E,Yuan etc)
The same can be done with things like Bitcoin-x2 - while you can copy and paste their Bitcoin Address to see your and many other People's Payments going into it. They probably aren't paying anyone either.
Those so called "Latest Payouts" Lists are completely fabricated, made up Names receiving non-existent Payments.
ReplyDeleteHere's YouTube allowing itself to promote the same old Scam.....
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYN_RXrEDlo
"What's up" - Hmmm, 'Bugs Bunny' - I'd still like my Refund from these People about 3 Months on from when they scammed me. "Live Chat" working yet?
Here's an Idea that might create some Work for People......
ReplyDeleteWork from Home Jobs? How about Facebook, Google, YouTube, MSN, Yahoo, Twitter etc create an App that People can sign up to which records login/logout time and they work on a Laptop from anywhere going through Scam after Scam using the usual Wording associated with them - noting the URL of each - and then passing them on to some sort of Admin - who then sends a generic Email to those doing it telling them to delete Stuff promoting them? Considering how much Internet Companies make they could pay them a decent hourly rate to do this!