The collapse of an investment platform is often not the end of the scam but the beginning of its most dangerous phase.
The platform Orange Cat Energy, which operated under the so-called “click a button” app model, ceased operations in early April 2026. Instead of providing a transparent explanation, users were presented with claims about a supposed IPO preparation and a mandatory financial audit.
Shortly thereafter, the next phase of the scheme emerged a demand for users to pay so-called “taxes” in order to allegedly unlock their funds.
Users were told that a “tax reconciliation” process was underway in accordance with European regulations, with warnings that failure to pay (in this case, 19% of the account value) would result in frozen funds or permanent loss.
In reality, such demands have no legal basis.
This is a well-known “fake tax” exit scam, typically used in the final stage of Ponzi schemes, where operators attempt to extract additional funds from existing victims before disappearing entirely.
It is important to emphasize that paying these “fees” does not lead to fund recovery, but only increases the overall loss.
Following such collapses, it is also common for new scams to emerge targeting the same victims – often through so-called “recovery services” or new platforms promising to recover lost funds.
According to available information, Orange Cat Energy has already taken down its websites and deleted its social media presence, which is a typical final step in schemes of this kind.
This case once again highlights a recurring pattern: when a platform disables withdrawals and begins requesting additional payments under various pretexts, it signals the final phase of the scam.
In such situations, the most important step is to refrain from making any further payments, regardless of the explanations provided.
Your DefendMe Team