The Bitcoin HYIP Racket meets the 'New Age'

So, elsewhere here you will see how I ended up in a Tussle with one of these Bitcoin Hyip Companies. How they tried - in a derivative of the old 419 Email Scam - to get me to give them more Money before I could access both any Earnings and my Deposit. Hmm, maybe they've got a bit more advanced in Nigeria etc these days. Here is where I show you all the Elements of a typical HYIP Scam and how they con.... sorry, encourage you to part with your Money using some quite regular Internet Tricks and Website Deceptions....

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!

Bitcoin Scammers.......

By now many People have heard of Bitcoin, that Digi-currency invented by enigmatic Japanese Computer Maestro/Pseudonym/Collective  Satoshi Nakamoto. Since 2009 it as sky rocketed in Value from about $8 each to a huge $1000 by Christmas. Unfortunately it also seems to have attracted the online Scam Community. HYIPs have appeared everywhere (High Yield Investment Programs) where People can 'make' (it says here, according to this, so we're told, apparently, allegedly) anything up to 9000% in 24 Hours. How many of these are for real and how many are nothing more than Ponzi Schemes? It's difficult to tell because many of the so called 'Monitors' are set up by the same People who run them. Binary Options 'Review Sites' revisited it seems and while one recommends this another does that and so on......

Here's an Exchange of Email from one I had when I tried to make a Withdrawal. Wha could go wrong? It's the "Most trusted", has an SSL Certificate (That "Secure" and Padlock you see in your Browser) and its Website looks very professional. But this turned out be reminisent of the 419 Email Scams a few years ago....

Read this.......

Hi

I have just made a Deposit from my Xapo Account for Plan A. It was for 0.06282749, sent to xxxx( removed for obviosu reasons) which I copied and pasted into the "Send" Page in my Wallet Account. I did this at 2017-01-13 10:51:59.

I've noticed that nothing is appearing in My Investments yet and it is now 12.10PM.

I have the Processing Page in (Bitcoin Wallet) in front of me where I got the above information.

How long does it take for a Transaction to appear in my Account here and have I done this right?

Will you send a confirmation Email once this has gone through?

Also, when do I know the Plan has been completed and do you do this on Saturday and Sunday - this being Friday?

Sorry if this seems like 20 Questions but this is the first Investment I have made with your Company and the first ever Bitcoin Transaction.

Regards

(Reply)

Hello, please send the screenshot of your transaction to us, then we will check it for you.

Please note, you should send the exact amount of bitcoins on your deposit page otherwise your deposit can not go into the plan automatically.

So I send them the requested Screenshot and it all looks hunky dory so far huh!

I checked my Account with them to see any Progress...

Hi

Firstly, thanks for processing and ensuring my Investment of $50 went through today at 07.32AM. I've just seen my Investments to check any Progress and notice that it hasn't generated any Profit. How does the 24 Hour Program work?

Do any Profits only show at the end of that Period, and because it is Friday and it ends on Saturday Morning will that affect the eventual Result? Also, will I be able to withdraw it once that has happened - even though it is the Weekend?

Regards

I am told not to worry and I reminded that I have a 24 Hour Plan. Then once the 24 Hours had elapsed sure enough there's $350 in my Account with them and I make a withdrawal of $250, after which I get an Email telling me it has been sent.... But

Hi

Thanks for the Email about my Withdrawal of $250 arriving at 14.38PM GMT. Nothing has arrived in my (Bitcoin) Wallet yet (it is now 16.40PM GMT). I realise that Bitcoin Payments can take a while to confirm as they travel through the Blockchain. Could you give me the TX ID so I can monitor its Progress?

Many thanks

(The TXID is the unique Code referring to any Transaction of Bitcoin which you can monitor as it travels to or from your Bitcoin Account)

I then got this.....

Dear MetroWynn,

We have checked your account, you need to deposit $150 to activate your withdraw system once then your withdrawals will be processed instantly.

We use instant withdraw system this way to keep our pool active. You will get your withdrawals once you activate your withdraw system. Your new deposit will go into the plan, you can get profits from it, and you don't need to activate it again.

Please be kindly noticed. Thanks.

Hmmm, and People would ask you to send "Processing Fees" so they can send you Monies via the 419 Email Scam...

Anyway, I tried being optimistic and replied

This is a complaint I've read about with other BTC HYIP's. How many other Payments would I have to make before I can even access my original Deposit? There was no mention of this in your Email advising me of my Withdrawal Request. Who's to say that you will process any of my Withdrawal Requests? I'm afraid this is how BTC HYIP Companies get a Reputation for being a Scam. I'm sorry if this seems a bit terse but none of this is mentioned on your Website or any of the HYIP Monitors who promote you.

Could you deduct the £150 from my Balance to pay this? After all, it is Money I have earned via your Program and would consent to you doing this.

Regards

They reply...

Hello, you need to do that because we use instant withdraw system this way to keep our pool active and our system can only work like this. But you just need to activate it once. Once you activate it, you can get all your withdrawals immediately.

I reply.....

In other words you need it to fund you Hot Wallet! (This is a Fund these Companies use to pay People when or if they haven't enough in the Kitty)

Does my Investment Yield actually exist? If so then by all means pay the $150 from that.

Also, in your Email you tell me my Money has been sent.

Regards

Their response.....

Hello, it is true that you only need to deposit $150 activate the withdrawal system, after activation, all your withdrawals will be processed immediately. and you just need to activate it once.

Hmm, looks like a repeat of their last Email. We continue......

But I've just won $300. Kindly pay that from my Account!

They say....

Hello, we don't allow to deposit funds from account balance, you should make deposit through your e-currency to activate your withdraw system once, then you can get all your withdrawals immediately.

My riposte....

In other words I give you real Money and I only have your Word that you will send me Money I haven't even seen!