FLASH
Shkruar nga PamfletiAn unregistered, unlicensed platform, but with hundreds of victims recruited via Telegram, Signal and WhatsApp. Warned by the New Zealand FMA, linked to the “2139 Exchange” scheme, TXEX is an international criminal network that requires urgent response from SPAK, Economic Crime, EUROPOL and EUROJUST
Following the published investigations into the criminal platform XUEX , another more sophisticated scheme is hitting the Albanian market: TXEX. This platform, presented as a cryptocurrency exchange, is in fact a clear pyramid structure, operating through encrypted groups on Signal, Telegram and WhatsApp, imitating the function of an illegal online call center, with no office, no address, no regulator.
TXEX does not exist in the Central Bank of Albania, has no license from the Bank of Albania, and is not authorized by the AFSA, but it operates every day, with hundreds of messages being distributed to Albanians' phones, where anonymous individuals present themselves as "financial mentors", "market experts", or "investment professors".
The scheme follows a refined fraud logic in several stages:
First stage – seduction: through fake profiles on Instagram, TikTok or WhatsApp, the victim is invited to “join a profitable group”.
Second stage – building trust: simulated Telegram groups, filled with bots and “other students” talking about profits. The “mentor” communicates daily, presents himself as a professional, and even creates personal connections with the victim to gain trust.
Stage three – first investment: the victim is instructed to buy cryptocurrency on a real platform like Binance or Kraken and send it to a “TXEX trading account.” Within the platform, profits are simulated as growing every day.
Stage four – reconfirmation of trust: the victim is encouraged to invest more and invite friends, to “climb the levels” and win prizes (cars, bonuses, fake leaderboards).
Stage Five – Blocking and Extortion: When the victim attempts to withdraw funds, they are asked for false fees, taxes, AML, commissions. These are attempts to extract even more money before contact is cut off and the platform disappears.
International Network and New Zealand Warning
The TXEX scheme has already been identified by international authorities, including the New Zealand Financial Markets Authority (FMA), which on April 17, 2025 listed it as a fraudulent platform and directly linked it to a predecessor scheme known as 2139 Exchange. This scheme has defrauded tens of millions of dollars in Asia and Africa, following the same tactics as TXEX, luring, simulating profits, blocking funds and disappearing. TXEX and “2139 Exchange” use the same technical infrastructure and the same groups of operators located mainly in the Balkans and Southeast Asia.
Meanwhile, in Albania, institutional action is non-existent. This is a pure matter for SPAK, the Economic Crime Unit, and should be addressed with priority through EUROPOL and EUROJUST channels, due to the cross-border nature of the network and its size.
Why is this an emergency?
It has a direct target towards the Albanian market, with language, content and dedicated groups on the network.
It distributes an Android application with malware, which violates privacy and extorts personal and banking data.
It uses psychological manipulation and deepfake to deceive, not just technology.
It operates without any legal footprint, but with a regular operational structure, similar to a real company, which in fact does not exist.
© Pamphlet
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