Tessa Marlowee CRYPTO SCAMMER
Tessa Marlowee CRYPTO SCAMMER
The public is advised to exercise extreme caution regarding a high-sophistication cryptocurrency scam operating under the name ElitePalace. This group utilizes aggressive psychological grooming through social media and private messaging apps to lure investors into a controlled, fraudulent ecosystem. Investigations indicate that the group’s leadership—operating under the aliases Marcus Hawthorne, Alec Merritt, and Tessa Marlowee—utilizes a "walled garden" platform to simulate market gains that do not exist in reality.
The scheme initiates with a period of high-value education, where the group provides legitimate stock market analysis to build a facade of immense credibility. Once trust is established, the organizers distribute "free" capital (Bitcoin, USDT, or their proprietary ELIX token) to cement a bond with their audience. The trap is then sprung via the Milase.com platform, where participants are given $700 in "house funds" to trade. Because these "trades" result in massive, simulated profits (such as growing $700 to $1,900 in five days), victims are psychologically conditioned to believe the platform’s algorithm is infallible before they are asked to deposit their own life savings.
Investors must be aware that Milase is a closed-loop environment with no connection to the global financial market. Major discrepancies have been identified, including:
Artificial Valuations: Cryptocurrency pairs that trade for pennies on regulated exchanges are listed at over $100 on the Milase interface.
Unverifiable Assets: The platform promotes trading pairs and futures capabilities that exist exclusively within its own internal software, making external validation impossible.
Withdrawal Lock-ups: Under the guise of "market stability," ElitePalace has implemented a total freeze on selling native tokens. This is a primary indicator of an imminent "exit scam," where the organizers vanish with all deposited principal.
Cloned Infrastructure: The Milase platform is identical in code and structure to other known fraudulent entities, specifically Ellsworth & Vane, suggesting a coordinated criminal network. If you have funds currently on Milase.com, be advised that any requests for "taxes" or "verification fees" to withdraw your balance are further attempts to extract capital; legitimate exchanges never require a deposit to process a withdrawal.
Let's Cover the Athena Bitcoin ATM scam, where scammers target victims (often the elderly) and instruct them to deposit cash into Athena ATMs.
The Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia has filed a lawsuit against Athena Bitcoin, alleging the company failed to implement adequate anti-fraud measures and knowingly profited from fees, with reports indicating that as much as 93% of deposits in D.C. were linked to scams.
There is no information in the search results linking the "Elite Palace" to the Athena Crypto Scam. "Elite Palace" does not appear to be a crypto company or related entity, but the results for "Taj Palace Owings Mills" suggest a restaurant name. It is possible you are trying to find information about a specific location where an Athena ATM scam occurred or are misremembering the name of a related entity.
Details of the Athena Bitcoin Scam Allegations
Scam Mechanism: Scammers typically use impersonation tactics (e.g., phony tech support, government agents) to create panic and convince victims their bank accounts are compromised. They then direct the victims to withdraw large amounts of cash and deposit it into a nearby Bitcoin ATM, often while keeping them on the phone and telling them to ignore on-screen warnings.
Victim Demographics: The median age of victims in D.C. was 71, and the median loss per scam transaction was $8,000.
Lawsuit Claims: The D.C. Attorney General's lawsuit claims Athena:
Knew its machines were being used for fraud but "chose to look the other way" to pocket fees.
Charged exorbitant, undisclosed fees of up to 26%, compared to typical exchange fees of 0.24% to 3%.
Enforced a strict "no refunds" policy, even for proven scam victims, sometimes requiring them to sign a release of liability.
Athena's Response: Athena Bitcoin has stated it "strongly disagrees with the allegations," employs aggressive safety protocols, and uses "multiple safeguards, from prominent warnings and daily transaction limits to five separate verification screens designed to stop coerced transactions". The company argues it should not be held responsible for users' decisions to send funds to scammers.
If You Are a Victim of a Scam
Cryptocurrency transactions are generally irreversible. However, you should take the following steps immediately:
Contact the Platform: Report the fraudulent transaction to the company operating the ATM (in this case, Athena Bitcoin) immediately, though their refund policy is a point of contention in lawsuits.
Report to Authorities:
File a police report with local law enforcement.
Submit a report to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Contact adult protective services or the Attorney General's office if the victim is an elderly or vulnerable adult.