Hackers for Hire Scam: How I Lost $2,330
A few days back, we got an email from a person who wanted to share their experience of getting scammed by several different websites that claim to provide hacking services. This individual decided to seek help from hackers for getting access to private information and ended up paying dearly. They reached out to us to help warn others about this scam.
In this article, we have detailed the sequence of events which led to the person getting scammed six times and losing the equivalent of $2,330 in Bitcoin (BTC) over a few months.
All the relevant proofs which prove the authenticity of these claims have been shared with us. We have kept the identity of the person anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the incidents.
Hacker For Hire 1: InstaBitNetwork
Website
InstaBitNetwork.com
Amount Scammed
$300
Details of Scam
It started with a firm by the name InstabitNetwork in my first attempt. I contacted them on the email ID info@instabitnetwork.com to know whether they can help me with what I need. They assured me that they can get it done and asked me to make a payment of $300 in Bitcoin.
I transferred the amount using PayBis, following which they never responded to my emails. I followed up for some time and finally had to give up. I realized that they are cheating people.
Hacker For Hire 2: Find-a-Hacker
Website
Find-a-Hacker.com
Amount Scammed
$450
Details of Scam
In my second attempt. I shifted to a different firm called "Find-a-Hacker". On their website, they have a selection of hackers to choose from. I reached out to a hacker called ‘Hotdeck’ who uses the email ID hotdeckhacker@yahoo.com.
His charges were quoted as $450 for the job. I created an account and transferred the amount through BTC, following which there was no communication from Hotdeck, nor the admin of Find-a-Hacker (admin@find-a-hacker.com). The website currently seems to be down.
Hacker For Hire 3: HackerList
Website
HackerList.co
Amount Scammed
$680
Details of Scam
In the 3rd attempt, I was contacted by a firm called HackerList (www.hackerlist.co). The difference with these people was that they claimed that they would charge only after showing proof
They contacted me again after 3 to 4 days to inform me that the job is done. They shared some basic information like the person’s name, Email ID and some deleted folder names which matched with the organization where the target works.
I ended up transferring $680 to them, following which they never responded to me. The website is no longer active either.
Hacker For Hire 4: DiscreetHackers
Website
DiscreetHackers.com
Amount Scammed
$250
Details of Scam
In the 4th attempt, I contacted DiscreetHacker. The company claims that they perform background checks and give tests to all the hackers listed on their site.
I reached out to a hacker whose details are as follows:
Username: khalidSadeen
Email: khalidsadeen8@gmail.com
WhatsApp: +15596407090
WeChat: khalidmo2020
He said that I can give him $250 as an advance and the rest later when I have the money. I agreed and transferred, after which I never received a response.
Hacker For Hire 5: HannibalHackers
Website
HannibalHackers.su
Amount Scammed
$200
Details of Scam
Then comes my 5th Attempt with HannibalHackers. Somehow, they approached me and told me that they could do what I needed. They asked for $200 in advance and then another $200 would need to be paid later.
After I transferred the amount, they kept in touch for some time. Later, they said that they are incompetent and can't go forward. They asked me to transfer another $200 to hire/engage another hacker. I refused as I didn't have the money.
Hacker For Hire 6: Izaum
Website
Izaum.com
Amount Scammed
$450
Details of Scam
In my 6th attempt, I got scammed by Izaum. At first, they said that I have to make the payment only after they show me proof that the work is done. They changed their tune later and sent an email accusing me of not being a genuine client.
They asked me to pay $300 and I made the payment. Within 6 hours, they said that the work is done, but it will take me at least 24 hours to access the data as the file transfer speed is slow. I would need to pay another $150 to speed up the process. I made this payment too and then they stopped responding. They charged a total of $450.
All these people are heartlessly cheating others. Getting the right people for this task is becoming very difficult. Normally I don’t write anything but I feel that others shouldn't suffer like me.
What Can We Learn From This?
While it is no doubt questionable for anyone to approach black-hat hackers for any reason, we should not miss the bigger picture here. No matter what situation a person is in, there are scammers out there looking to take advantage. Most of the websites mentioned in this article are openly operating and even have a presence on Google. There are quite a few lessons to be learned from what this person went through.
Never Trust Strangers on the Internet
The most important lesson here is to not trust strangers online. You never know whether the person on the other side is genuine, more so in a kind of job which involves unethical hacking. As we can see from this story, scammers know that desperate people are the most vulnerable and they are shameless about exploiting them.
While due diligence would have been difficult in this particular case, customers are advised to always take all the steps to verify that a person or company they are dealing with online is genuine.
Same Scammer, Different Name
In two of the attempts, the person noted that the hackers approached them. There is a likelihood that it was one of the previous scammers trying their hand at scamming the same person for more money.
It is quite common for scammers to approach the same victim multiple times using different identities and new pretences. For example, an investment scammer may approach the victim again pretending to help them get their money back, for a fee.
Scammers are also known to maintain ‘sucker lists’ of victims which they sell to other scammers. Once you have been scammed, you need to be even more cautious as you become a target for repeated scams.
Insecure Payment Methods
Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are now being favoured by scammers due to the payments being much harder to trace. In all the incidents, the hackers demanded payment in Bitcoin, knowing that there would be little recourse for the victim after they realize they have been scammed. It also provides the scammers with anonymity as their identities can be kept hidden.
It is safer to make payments using methods such as credit cards or PayPal which provide a better chance of reversing the transaction.
We appreciate this person for coming forward with their story so that others can know what is going on with these supposed ‘hackers for hire’. These cases usually go unheard as people are afraid and embarrassed to speak out about such incidents. Read the article below to know how you can recognize scams and have a pleasant online experience.
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