ChainCatcher reported that according to an official announcement, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission warned the public to beware of seven entities suspected of engaging in fraudulent activities claiming to be related to virtual assets. They operate under the following names: XTCQT, CEG, BTEPRO, Bitones.org, Yomaex Crypto Market Limited (also known as "Yomaex"), Bstor (also known as "Bstorest"), and Taurusemex.
The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission said that the suspected entities claimed to provide cryptocurrency trading services, and some of the suspected entities had used social media platforms or instant messaging software to guide investors to their respective websites to register as users to invest in cryptocurrencies. Some investors reported problems when withdrawing funds from the suspected entities. In some cases, the suspected entities claimed that investor accounts were involved in money laundering activities or illegal funds, thus suspending withdrawals. Investors were asked to pay high "fees" or "taxes" to process their withdrawal applications or reactivate suspended accounts. One of the suspected entities, Taurusemex, also falsely claimed that investor accounts were regulated by the Securities and Futures Commission. The police have taken action to block the relevant websites at the request of the Securities and Futures Commission. Although the police have taken action, the public should be wary that scammers may continue to establish websites with similar domain names. The suspected entities and their respective websites were included in the Securities and Futures Commission's warning list of suspicious virtual asset trading platforms on July 5, 2024.