Crypto moves fast, and scammers move faster. Most scams don't hack you. They convince you to hand things over yourself. Here are five to watch for.
1. Fake support 🎭
Someone DMs you "from support" and offers to fix a problem. Real support will never ask for your password, OTP or recovery phrase. Use only the official in-app support.
2. Fake giveaways 🎁
"Send 0.1 and get 0.2 back." Nobody doubles your money. It's the oldest trick, and it still works on new users.
3. Rug pulls 🧻
The team hypes a new token, collects money from buyers, then removes liquidity and disappears. Red flags: anonymous team, no audit and a few wallets holding most of the supply.
4. Honeypot tokens 🍯
You can buy the token but can't sell it. Scan the contract and check the holder list before buying anything unknown.
5. Phishing links 🔗
Fake websites and emails that look like the real exchange. Never log in through a link someone sent you. Type the address yourself or use the official app, and turn on 2FA and anti-phishing codes.
The common thread: urgency ("act now!"), guaranteed profit and pressure to keep it secret. If you see all three, walk away.
Quick safety checklist ✅
Enable 2FA on every account
Never share OTPs, passwords or recovery phrases
Verify links and usernames before clicking
Start small when trying anything new
Stay curious, stay skeptical and stay safe.
These are large, well-known projects. That doesn't make them safe, only easier to verify than random new tokens:
$ETH (Ethereum): A major platform for smart contracts, DeFi and NFTs.
$BNB (BNB): The native token of the BNB Chain ecosystem, also used for Binance fee discounts.
$USDT (Tether): A stablecoin designed to track the US dollar. It's for holding value, not for growth.
Which scam have you seen most often? Share below so others can learn from it 👇