Crypto Scam Library — Red Flags & How to Stay Safe

Fraudulent websites or apps that pose as legitimate crypto investment platforms, promising guaranteed high returns with little or no risk. Victims deposit funds that they can never withdraw.

Scammers build a fake romantic or close personal relationship over weeks or months, then gradually steer the victim toward a fraudulent crypto investment. Also known as 'pig butchering' (sha zhu pan).

Fraudulent job postings that require applicants to pay crypto for training, equipment, or account setup. The job does not exist, and the payment goes directly to scammers.

Fake websites, emails, or apps that impersonate legitimate crypto wallets and exchanges to steal login credentials, seed phrases, or private keys.

Scammers impersonate customer support agents from wallets, exchanges, or DeFi protocols on social media, Discord, Telegram, or through fake support websites.

Fraudulent promotions claiming to offer free crypto, NFTs, or airdrops — typically requiring victims to send crypto first or connect their wallet to a malicious contract.

Scammers who target people who have already lost crypto by offering fake recovery or refund services — resulting in a second victimization.

Coordinated schemes where promoters hype a low-value token to inflate its price, then sell their holdings at the peak, leaving later buyers with worthless tokens.

Developers create a token or DeFi protocol, attract investor funds, and then drain the liquidity pool or abandon the project — taking everyone's money with them.

Attackers send tiny transactions from an address that closely resembles your real contact's address, hoping you'll copy the wrong address from your transaction history when sending funds.

A token designed so that buyers can purchase it but cannot sell it. The smart contract includes hidden code that prevents anyone except the creator from selling.

Attackers convince your mobile carrier to transfer your phone number to their SIM card, allowing them to intercept SMS-based 2FA codes and access your crypto exchange accounts.

A malicious dApp or contract tricks you into signing a token approval that gives it unlimited access to drain specific tokens from your wallet.

Scammers pose as government agencies (IRS, SEC, FBI) claiming you owe crypto taxes, penalties, or fines — and demand immediate payment in cryptocurrency to avoid arrest.

Scammers instruct victims to deposit cash into a Bitcoin ATM and send it to a specific wallet address, often as part of a fake emergency, utility bill, or law enforcement scenario.

Attackers send tiny amounts of crypto ('dust') to many wallets to track transactions and potentially link wallet addresses to real identities for targeted attacks.

Fraudulent NFT minting websites that mimic legitimate projects, designed to drain your wallet through malicious smart contract interactions when you attempt to mint.

Crypto influencers and YouTubers promote fraudulent tokens, platforms, or investment schemes without disclosing they were paid by the project — or while secretly dumping their own holdings.