The trading platform won't let me withdraw unless I pay a tax or fee. What do I do?
Stop paying. A platform that needs a fee, a tax or a deposit from you before it releases your own money is a scam, and every further payment is lost too. Real platforms deduct fees from the balance; they do not ask you to send more.
The "tax" story is clever because it sounds official. It is followed by a second fee, then an "anti-money-laundering deposit", then an account "upgrade". The balance on screen is just a number the scammer typed.
What to do now
- Do not pay the fee, however small compared with your balance.
- Screenshot the platform, your deposits, the chats and the account details you paid into.
- Phone your bank about the payments you made, especially recent ones.
- Report to the FSCA and open a case with SAPS.
- Be ready for a "recovery agent" who offers to get your money back for a fee: that is the same scammer again.
Frequently asked questions
- If I pay the tax, will I get my money?
- No. There is no money. The balance is fake.
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