The promise of quick riches can be tempting, especially when it comes from our favorite celebrities. But what happens when those promises evaporate and the stars we trusted were never part of the deal? Here's the brutal truth about a perfidious online fraud scheme that is hijacking the faces of celebrities like Armin Assinger and Armin Wolf and turning the dream of making a quick buck into a nightmare.

Screenshots of fake ads and websites created without the consent of the people and newspapers concerned in order to cleverly lure users into a trap.

MIMIKAMA
MIMIKAMA
MIMIKAMA
MIMIKAMA
MIMIKAMA
MIMIKAMA
MIMIKAMA
MIMIKAMA
MIMIKAMA
MIMIKAMA
MIMIKAMA
MIMIKAMA
MIMIKAMA
MIMIKAMA

The lure: celebrities you know and love and appear as advertisements on Facebook and CO

Imagine you're surfing the internet and suddenly an article pops up claiming that Armin Assinger got rich using a new crypto trading software. Not only that, he recommends them to everyone! Very simple: deposit 250 euros and the software does the rest. Too good to be true? In any case. These celebrities have never given their names to such products. Your identities have been stolen and used for “manufactured content” to sell you a lie.

Armin Wolf himself repeatedly points out, as here on Facebook , that this advertising is fraud:

Facebook

By loading the post you accept Facebook's privacy policy.
Learn more

Load post

The bait: A small stake for big promises

The scam is always the same: a small deposit and the promise of high returns. The fraud platforms, which hide behind illustrious names such as “Bitcoin Profit” or “Bitcoin Code”, assure that your money is safe and secure even when exchange rates fluctuate. But once you deposit your money, the real game begins.

The reality: fictitious profits, real losses

After the first deposit everything seems to go like clockwork. Your account is growing and customer service is always there for you - but only to persuade you to invest more. But then you try to withdraw your money. Suddenly, inexplicable charges appear or your contact person no longer responds. The shocking truth? The winnings were never real and your money is now in the hands of scammers, perhaps somewhere in Estonia or Ukraine.

The bad surprise: When the bubble bursts

As soon as the extent of the fraud becomes clear, the desperate search for help and answers begins. But the internet is divided: false success stories here, horror stories of defrauded investors there. Some victims are even contacted by alleged authorities who promise to get the lost money back - for a fee, of course. And so the fraud continues.

The sophisticated system: A fraud that knows no boundaries

These fraud networks are large and have no geographical boundaries. They operate in multiple languages ​​and use sophisticated techniques to cover their tracks. And although some victims have documented everything, prosecution is difficult and often frustrating.

It is not the first time that celebrities like Armin Wolf or Stefan Raab have fallen victim to such fraud! We reported on this in 2018 in 2022 that there are criminal networks behind such sites.

Once you register on one of these websites, you may receive a call from a supposed “broker” who will “help” you make the “right” investment decisions on a fake investment website so that you invest more than 250 euros. The site is always manipulated as if the victim had made a profit if they had invested a few seconds ago.

Over the next few days, the fake broker repeatedly encourages the victim to invest additional amounts; the money appears to keep increasing on the fake investment site. But when you want to withdraw the money you supposedly won, you get a nasty surprise: a withdrawal is never possible, at some point the site disappears and the money is gone.

We reported in detail about the criminals' gigantic network here: Bitcoin Scam: How the network works with over 10,000 fraudulent sites .

Conclusion: vigilance as the first line of defense

In a world where online fraud is ubiquitous, our most powerful weapon is staying informed. These fraud schemes, however sophisticated, can only work if we, the potential victims, are kept in the dark. If we become aware of the tactics and learn to recognize the signs, we can protect ourselves and our finances. It is up to us to ask critical questions, question the legitimacy of investment offers and understand that celebrity endorsers are not always what they seem. In the digital world, skepticism is not only healthy, but also necessary to navigate safely.

In line with this topic

Sign up for the Mimikama newsletter

Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )