Likely cloned Tickmill app demanded tax before withdrawal

I was coached through Facebook and WhatsApp to send ETH and BTC to what I believe was a cloned Tickmill forex-trading app. When I asked to withdraw, I was told to pay income tax first and could not even withdraw my $8,000 principal without another payment.

The tax demand did not make sense to me, so I concluded the platform was not legitimate. I reported an $8,000 loss.