Vatican Bank Slams Door on ‘Vatican Chamber’ Crypto Scam, Investors Reeling

A bold new cryptocurrency scam has rocked the digital asset world, falsely claiming ties to the Vatican Bank and luring investors with promises of exclusivity and prestige.

The Vatican Bank has publicly denounced the so-called ‘Vatican Chamber Token’ (VCT) as a complete fraud, urging the public to remain vigilant against increasingly sophisticated phishing schemes.

How did scammers use the Vatican Bank’s reputation to trick investors?

The fraudulent project, dubbed the Vatican Chamber of Trade, used an elaborate online presence to convince potential victims of its legitimacy. The scam website even listed the real phone number of the Vatican Bank to appear authentic.

Promoters claimed that the Vatican Chamber of Trade was accepting new members “for the first time in a generation,” offering a “formal invitation to join one of the world’s most exclusive economic institutions.”

Did you know?
No institution called the ‘Vatican Chamber of Trade’ exists in the Vatican, and the Vatican Bank has never issued or endorsed any cryptocurrency token.

What red flags did experts spot in the Vatican Chamber token scheme?

Investigators quickly found no record of any Vatican Chamber of Trade within the Vatican. The Vatican Bank confirmed it had no affiliation with the project and labeled it a scam designed to exploit unsuspecting individuals.

The scam’s website promised private investor introductions, custodial asset holding, and priority access to tokenized assets. These claims were entirely fabricated to create a sense of exclusivity and urgency.

The scam project used real contact details to appear credible

To further mislead investors, the scheme incorporated the Vatican Bank’s genuine contact information. This tactic aimed to build trust and lure high-value targets into the fraudulent token presale.

The project even attempted to manipulate Wikipedia, adding a false creation date for the Vatican Chamber of Trade to the Vatican Bank’s page. The edit was quickly flagged as vandalism, lacking any credible source.

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Sophisticated phishing tactics highlight rising crypto risks

The scam’s “buy token” button redirected users to a Coinbase wallet page, but the link originated from a suspicious subdomain, exploiting the Ethereum Name Service integration on Coinbase. This allowed scammers to appear more legitimate while avoiding Know Your Customer checks.

Eligibility criteria for joining the fake chamber were set high: applicants needed to operate legally registered companies or crypto projects with significant financial thresholds. These requirements were designed to create an illusion of exclusivity, not actual security.

Investors urged to stay vigilant as crypto scams evolve

This incident follows a wave of high-profile crypto frauds, underscoring the persistent risks in the digital asset sector. Authorities and experts continue to stress the importance of skepticism, due diligence, and verification through official channels before making any investment.

The Vatican Bank’s swift and unequivocal rejection of the scam serves as a stark warning. As fraudsters refine their tactics, investors must remain alert, question too-good-to-be-true offers, and rely only on verified information to protect their assets.