A father from Aintree, Merseyside, has lost his £25,000 life savings to a crypto scam that he says has “ruined” his family.
Stephen Beresford, 43, a taxi driver, revealed that he was tricked into transferring his savings over two weeks after being lured by what appeared to be a trusted online crypto trader.
He said the scam has left him unable to pay for home improvements for his disabled mother, including a wet room and new windows, as well as savings he had put aside for his 14-year-old son Finley’s future.
Stephen explained that he joined a legitimate trading platform called CB TRADING through a friend and was introduced to the group’s owner on the Discord messaging app, known as “CB.”
However, he later received a direct message from another user with a nearly identical handle (“_cbtrades0”) who persuaded him to move his funds to a separate site called Copyfxtradez.org.
“My guard was down as my mate had met the group’s admin whilst on holiday in Dubai,” Stephen said. “It was only after it had all happened that I noticed their names were spelled differently – one character was changed, and it was too late.”
False gains lure victims into £25,000 crypto scam
Believing he was copy trading with the platform’s owner, Stephen transferred £25,000 worth of XRP tokens into the scammer’s wallet. He was shown false profits, with his account balance appearing to rise as high as £50,000, but when he attempted to withdraw funds on September 17, he was repeatedly ignored and told to keep his money in for “huge gains.”
His friend, who introduced him to the group, has also lost £37,000 to the same scam.
Stephen admitted that he had paid £60 for a monthly subscription to the group and initially received genuine advice on trading. But he added, “It is ruining me, it’s my savings they have taken, not just £20.”
The case highlights how fraudsters often exploit small details, such as near-identical usernames, to deceive victims. Security experts warn crypto users to be cautious on social platforms, verify identities carefully, and avoid moving funds outside official, regulated platforms.