Crypto Scams
Crypto fraud cost victims $9.9 billion worldwide in 2024 according to Chainalysis — and that number is widely understood to undercount, since most crypto fraud goes unreported. Today’s scams aren’t the obvious "Elon Musk Bitcoin giveaway" tweets of 2020; they’re wallet-draining browser extensions, fake DEX clones, social-engineered airdrops, and pig-butchering investment platforms. If you hold crypto, these are the patterns to know.
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Red flags to watch for
A browser extension or "wallet helper" asks you to import your seed phrase or sign an unfamiliar transaction.
You’re directed to a DEX or staking site that looks like a known exchange but the URL is slightly off (coinbase-pro[.]net, uniswap-v3[.]io).
You receive an unsolicited token in your wallet ("airdrop") that you have to interact with to claim — the interaction grants the scammer permission to drain other tokens.
A "recovery service" promises to retrieve crypto you’ve already lost, for an upfront fee. Always a scam.
A new contact pitches a "100x" trading platform that requires you to send USDT or BTC to a wallet you don’t control.
A customer-support agent DMs you on Discord or Telegram after you’ve posted a public question — real exchanges never DM first.
Brands scammers impersonate
These are the brands most often used in this category of scam. Tap any one for a deep-dive on how scammers impersonate them and what the real brand will never do.
Guides & deep-dives (14)
That Bitcoin ATM at the Gas Station? It's a Scam Machine.
Scammers stole $388 million through Bitcoin ATMs in 2025. Here's how it works, who gets hit hardest, and what to do after it happens.
Read the guideJob Scams in 2026: Fake Recruiters Cost Americans $150M in Q4 2025 Alone
FTC job-scam reports tripled from 2020 to 2024 and losses jumped from $90M to $501M. Q4 2025 alone: $150.4M from 25,000 reports, median $2,000 per victim. Task scams went from zero in 2020 to ~20,000 reports in the first half of 2024. Here's how to verify a recruiter before you send a single document.
Read the guideThe Factory Behind Your Scam Texts Just Got Raided
The FBI just seized $8 billion and arrested hundreds in a scam compound crackdown. Here's what those compounds are—and how they pick their targets.
Read the guideThe Truman Show Scam: When Your Whole Investment Group Is Fake
Scammers now build entire fake investment communities — AI bots playing 47 different people — to steal your money. Here's how the Truman Show scam works and how to spot it.
Read the guideX Scams 2026: Fake Verified Accounts, Crypto Scams, and Impersonation Exposed
That verified X account in your DMs might be a scam. 47% of crypto scam accounts on X have paid blue checks. Here's how to spot fakes before you click.
Read the guideHow to Verify a Reddit Profile: Spot Fake Accounts, DM Scams, and Karma Farmers (2026)
Reddit DMs are a primary scam channel — fake support, fake recovery, fake crypto experts. Here's how to verify any Reddit profile before that 'helpful stranger' walks off with your wallet.
Read the guideHow to Verify a Telegram Profile (Before It Verifies Your Wallet Into Oblivion)
Telegram is crypto scam central. Fake support, fake airdrops, fake investment groups, and 'Elon' in your DMs. Here's how to verify any Telegram account before it drains your wallet.
Read the guideHow to Verify a YouTube Channel: Spot Fake Creators, Hijacked Channels, and Comment Scams (2026)
YouTube scams hide in comments, fake giveaways, and hijacked livestreams. Here's how to verify any YouTube channel, creator, or link before you click — including the deepfake crypto livestream scam.
Read the guideCrypto Scam Recovery Guide: What to Do After Losing Money to a Crypto Scam
Lost money to a crypto or pig butchering scam? Here's the exact steps to take, who to report it to, and how to avoid the recovery scammers who will try to take more.
Read the guideFake Crypto Exchanges in 2026: How to Spot the Scam Before Your Money Disappears
Fake crypto trading platforms are stealing thousands. Learn how these scams work, the biggest red flags, and how to avoid losing your money.
Read the guidePig Butchering Scam: Warning Signs & Protection
The average pig butchering victim loses $177,000. A bank CEO embezzled $47M to cover losses. Here's how it works and how to spot it early.
Read the guideHow to Spot Fake Trading Profit Screenshots
Scammers use edited and AI-generated trading screenshots to lure victims into fake platforms. Learn how to spot fake profit screenshots.
Read the guideFake Celebrity Endorsements: Spot AI Deepfakes
Deepfake celebrity endorsements promote crypto scams and fake products. Learn how to check if a celebrity image is real or AI-generated.
Read the guideFake Crypto Platforms: Scam Warning Signs 2026
Fake crypto platforms look identical to real ones. Learn how to verify before you invest a dollar.
Read the guideWhat to do if it’s happening to you
- 01
If you’ve signed a malicious transaction, immediately move remaining funds to a fresh wallet you set up offline. Revoke approvals at revoke.cash (or the equivalent for your chain).
- 02
Disconnect and uninstall any wallet browser extensions you can’t verify came from the real source.
- 03
Document the scammer’s wallet address, transaction hashes, and any Discord/Telegram handles — file with the FBI IC3 (ic3.gov) and your local FBI field office for amounts over $50K.
- 04
Report the wallet address to chainalysis.com/report, etherscan.io, and the destination exchange (Coinbase, Binance, Crypto.com) — they can sometimes freeze funds before withdrawal.
- 05
Never engage with a "recovery agent". They’re the same network coming back for a second pass.
Frequently asked questions
Can stolen crypto ever be recovered?+
Sometimes — if you act within hours. Centralized exchanges (Coinbase, Binance, Crypto.com) can freeze incoming funds if you file a police report and contact the exchange’s compliance team fast. Funds sent to decentralized wallets are usually unrecoverable, though the FBI has seized hundreds of millions in scam crypto in 2024-2026 via blockchain tracing.
What is a wallet drainer?+
A wallet drainer is malicious code — usually a browser extension or a smart-contract approval on a fake DEX — that, once authorized, lets the attacker transfer all tokens in your wallet to an address they control. You don’t need to type a password; signing a single transaction is enough.
Are airdrops safe to claim?+
Real airdrops from established projects (Optimism, Arbitrum, ENS) are claimed via the official project website you typed in yourself. Tokens that appear in your wallet unsolicited and require you to interact with a strange website to "claim" are almost always wallet-drainer traps. Hide the unknown token, don’t interact.
How do I know if a crypto exchange is legitimate?+
Stick to exchanges with U.S. (or your country’s) regulatory licensing — Coinbase, Kraken, Gemini in the U.S., and Crypto.com / Binance with appropriate regional licenses. Check the exchange’s registration on FinCEN’s MSB registry. Any platform that requires you to deposit before you can verify withdrawals is a scam.
Sources: Chainalysis 2025 Crypto Crime Report · FBI IC3 2024 Annual Report · DOJ National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team seizures
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