Anti-scam advocate Kitboga has deployed a sophisticated fake Bitcoin ATM maze, significantly hindering cryptocurrency scammers’ ability to target victims and extracting crucial intelligence.
The intricate scammer trap features doctored receipts, QR codes leading scammers to fictitious exchanges, and a purposefully confusing hotline system. These elements are designed to ensnare scammers in repetitive and time-wasting loops. Additional hurdles like perpetual CAPTCHAs further drain scammers’ resources and patience.
This deceptive system proved highly effective over the past year, ensnaring an estimated 500 scammers. Collectively, these malicious actors wasted nearly 3,953 hours within the maze, with the longest individual session stretching to 156 hours. Beyond wasting time, the operation yields valuable data.
Kitboga’s team meticulously collects evidence from maze interactions, including scammers’ IP addresses and recorded calls. This intelligence is used to identify and report bad actors, aiding broader fraud prevention efforts. The initiative marks the progression of Kitboga’s work, which transitioned from a hobby started eight years ago into a full-time anti-fraud mission with a massive following on Twitch and YouTube.