I received one of these messages this morning from a bot, here is a copy of the text:
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:tada::tada: Congratulations! :tada::tada:
You won 0.1 BTC in the Giveaway by Mercatox.org
Detailed Info and Conditions about Giveaway:
https://medium.com/@mercatox.media/mercatox-giveaway-14b17324ba8fYour Promo Code: 0F9D20C3
How to use the promo code and get your winnings?
1) Register on the site:
https://mercatox.org/2) Go to the Account section and activate you Promo Code.
3) Exchange your BTC for any currency or withdraw to your BTC address.
:bangbang: Attention! :bangbang:
- Don't give this Promo Code to anyone. If someone uses it instead you, we will can't return your winnings to you.
- Promo Code is valid 7 days from the date of issue.
Have some questions about winnings? Email us:
[email protected]Have some technical problems with Promo Code? Write online support on our website.
Regards,
Mercatox Team.
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Obvious scam as no one gives away .1 BTC for free, it is the very same scam I have encountered with various shills asking for "help" recovering funds from an exchange that popped up only days prior.
Avoid anyone offering to give you a quantity of BTC for free, by helping them move funds, or from a "reward". And never, ever send funds to an exchange that has not been properly vetted.
A useful tactic if you are approached directly by someone attempting to con you, is ask for a deposit of .01 BTC before you will help them with anything. If they are genuine, it is a modest amount to request for expert blockchain help (if you are qualified to give such help), and if they are a con, they usually do there best to insult you in English, before finishing with an insult in their native tongue, which when translated into English also makes you laugh
So in the end, avoid these scams but be sure to have fun with the people who are involved with them, ask them for BTC (have a real address ready
), maybe ask them to register at a different exchange in response to see if they play along.
These scams work because the people involved are smarter/sharper than the ones they prey on, you just need to be smarter/sharper than them