A man thought he was building wealth through cryptocurrency investments. Instead, he walked away nearly $28,000 poorer after falling victim to a sophisticated scam.
According to a report filed with the sheriff’s office, the victim said he believed he was investing through a legitimate trading platform, Zoomex.com. But he had actually been redirected to a nearly identical imposter site. At first, everything seemed normal. He made smaller trades in late July and early August, even withdrawing funds successfully.
The trouble started when he tried to cash out larger amounts—$15,978 on August 11 and $50,304 on August 21. Both withdrawals failed. By late August, the platform told him he’d need to deposit another $11,995 as a so-called “KYC verification fee” before he could access his money. At that point, the victim realized he’d been scammed. He reported losing $27,921 of his own investment, though the fake account still showed over $11,000 in supposed “market gains.”
Investigators say the fraudsters were posing as individuals named “Ronald Smith” and “Katrina Ivanova” and even rolled out a brand-new website after the victim reported the first one.
🚨 Warning Signs of Scams Like This
- Imposter websites that look almost identical to legitimate platforms
- Requests for “verification deposits” or extra fees before releasing your money
- Early small withdrawals designed to build trust before bigger losses
- New or changing website links after complaints are filed
Authorities urge investors to double-check web addresses, never send extra “fees” to unlock funds, and use only verified, regulated platforms. When in doubt, stop the transaction and contact the company directly through official channels.