Cryptocurrency broker Mobile.coinbaseltdus.com appears to be engaged in fraud against California consumers

The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) has received a complaint from a California resident regarding a crypto investment.

The victim was contacted by “Lotus Nina Ivanovna” who said she could  help with cryptocurrency trading. The victim transferred coins from legitimate crypto x  brokerages to the scam site: https://mobile.coinbaseltdus.com/pc.html. Afterward, the victim received a message on the website claiming her account was locked for verification and that she needed to transfer more money to the account to unlock. The victim then realized it was a scam.  The company operated a website at https://mobile.coinbaseltdus.com.

This appears to be what is commonly called an “Advance Fee scheme,” which can take many forms, as discussed here:  https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/advance-fee-schemes. This also appears to be what’s known as a Social Media Scam, which is described here: https://dfpi.ca.gov/2022/05/20/romance-scams-and-crypto-assets-fact-or-fraud/

The DFPI urges consumers to exercise extreme caution before responding to any solicitation offering investment or financial services.  To check whether an investment or financial service provider is licensed in California, consumers may contact the Department for questions or inquiries at ask.dfpi@dfpi.ca.gov or call toll-free at (866) 275-2677.  If a consumer believes a person or company has violated state law or acted improperly regarding a consumer financial product or service, they may file a formal complaint with the DFPI at https://dfpi.ca.gov/file-a-complaint/.