Written by
Ewelina Skorupka
Published on
Artificial intelligence is on a roll. AI tools are helpful at work… But can they also find a use in trade? FBS Consulting claims they can – you just need to pay 250 dollars and you are good to go. But be careful, that is a fraud. We warn you – do not give FBS Consulting any money.
How it all starts to unravel
You can come across FBS Consulting on the Internet, even on the well-known national portals such as WP or Onet. The company makes references to artificial intelligence meant to be applied in trading.
If you express your interest in the offer, a consultant will assign you a specific “broker”. The broker will encourage you to make a first deposit of 250 dollars. If you go for it and start the cooperation, you will soon see your account balance increasing. But these profits are false.
Before long, you will be urged to pay again, this time more. Additionally, to make the deposit, you will be pushed to set up an account on a Maltese financial platform called blackcatcard.
Furthermore, you will be required to sign claim or confidentiality agreements. It is also likely that, at some point, the consultant will persuade you to install a remote desktop application, AnyDesk, to control your device.
Note: at this moment https://fbsconsulting.com webpage is not working, but it is possible that another one, similar, will show up.
Issues with funds withdrawal
The attempt to withdraw the funds is the beginning of problems. The platform charges 10% commission in USDT and 19% tax. The amount is determined by the broker and is required be transferred to a designated bank account. After making the payments, the broker will be persuading you to set up a MetaMask wallet and transfer your money there.
If you proceed, you will get a phishing email from [email protected] asking you to transfer 1 ETH to activate your wallet. After that, the broker will eventually disburse the false tokens: https://bscscan.com/token/0x405890F6563965A8dc2242971DDc99709d2c2ebb
You will either discover the fraud yourself or will be informed of this fact by the exchange you choose to send your tokens to.
How can you tell you are dealing with a scam?
FBS Consulting looks credible at first glance. It has been registered in the United Kingdom, not, as it is usually the case with scams, in a tax heaven. What is more, the names of the beneficiaries are public, which can enhance the credibility in the eyes of potential customers.
However, any repeated deposit payment incentives, especially in a specified amount, should give rise to doubts. 250 dollars is an amount that often appears in various scams. Licensed and trusted exchanges or brokers will always be objective and will never urge you to make any payments or set up specific bank accounts.
In case of any doubt search information online, ask more experienced investors or write to the customer service of the exchange you are using. If you are not sure whether a company is a trustworthy partner, if you have any suspicions – stay vigilant and do not invest your money.