Mario, 41, from Italy, had always been curious about crypto. He never trusted shady platforms or risky coins, but he followed the news, read Reddit, and knew the basics. He just never invested — until someone gave him a little push.
That “someone” was Sophia — a woman he met on Instagram who DM’d him after he commented on a Bitcoin video. She looked smart, not flashy. She said she worked in fintech and was “passionate about helping beginners grow wealth.”
They talked casually at first. After a few days, she mentioned a platform where she was trading with good results. She offered to show him how it worked.
Mario signed up with her referral link. The platform looked clean, professional — a real dashboard, price charts, live support. He started with just €100.
Sophia walked him through a simple trade. Two days later, he had €127. He clicked Withdraw — and the money hit his bank account.
That was the hook.
He reinvested €300. Then €500. Sophia said she was trading alongside him, calling it “our journey to freedom.” She even sent screenshots of her own balance growing.
After two weeks, Mario’s balance showed over €2,800. It felt real. He wanted to cash out some.
He clicked withdraw.
But this time…
A pop-up appeared:
“To process withdrawals over €1,000, please verify account with a €350 ‘security deposit’ refundable within 24 hours.”
He hesitated. Sophia encouraged him:
“Totally normal. I’ve done it. You’ll get it back — and more.”
He sent the €350.
Then came another block:
“To complete international transfer, please pay €520 in processing fees.”
When Mario asked questions, live chat told him:
“These are international financial laws. Nothing we can do.”
Sophia stayed sweet.
“I’ll pay half if you want. But please, don’t stop now — we’re so close!”
Mario paid again.
Then — a “regulatory clearance fee” of €800.
That’s when he knew. It would never end.
He tried to withdraw whatever was left — denied.
The platform vanished a week later.
Sophia? Blocked him instantly when he stopped paying.
Lesson Learned:
Scammers build trust slowly — by letting you win small. Then they bait you into going bigger, and block you with fake fees and made-up “regulations.” If a platform demands money to withdraw your own funds — it’s a scam.
No real broker charges to access your money. Ever.