Fake Websites & Apps

Cybercriminals create fake websites/apps with the goal to have you put to have you put in your personal or wallet details OR connect your wallet

• Check name of site properly!

• Careful when google searching

• Question if you’re being asked to connect “again”

Linking devices to public wifi

(Don’t ask me how, but!) cybercriminals could potentially hack your LOGGED in/UNLOCKED crypto wallets via Public Wifi

• Once you are finished using your wallets, log out / lock

• Think twice about connecting to public wifis

• Don’t keep your crypto on devices you commonly use in public

Phishing / Fake Profiles

Where the scammer tries to get your personal information, passwords, seed phrase, private keys, etc.

Typically you get an email, DM, or phone call with scammer pretending to be a authority figure or company representative

• NEVER send ANYONE in any shape, way or form your passwords, seed phrases, private keys

• Don’t share access to your computer with anyone

• Double check email address/social media profiles

Giveaways/more fake profiles

Sending crypto to participate in a giveaway, or send crypto to then receive more crypto which you have won in a giveaway

Scammers will pose as celebrities, authority figures in the space or even important platforms in the space e.g. fake metamask, coinbase, binance, etc and claim they are doing a giveaway

• Don’t send crypto to enter any “giveaway” or “contest to win”

• Don’t send crypto FIRST, to then be sent back more crypto e.g. “send me 1 BTC to approve the transaction and I will send you back 2 BTC”

• Double check the profile!

Investment scams

These come in amny ways, shapes and forms

• Watch out for phonny investment pitches

• Random DMs sent to you by fake profiles to visit a website to learn more about a potential investments opportunity with unrealistic or guaranteed results

• Or they may ask you for money directly

Sometimes your intuition can be your best frience.

Two most common type: exits & rug pulls

Exit scams

Where a “company” claims to be raising money via an ICO (initial coin offering) or some other method, to then “launch a crypto project” but then they quickly exit and steal the funds without creating an actual product.

• DYOR - always research who, what, where, when

 (as we do anyway BEFORE investing in any crypto, right?!

• Never invest what you’re not willing to lose (ICOs are high risk)

Rug Pulls

A new coin is created and listed on an DEX

Once people swap their cryptocurrencies for the new coin, the coin’s developers pull out of the project and leave investors with worthless coins.

Typically these projects are heavily promoted online.

• DYOR!!! Always research who, what, where, when (as we do anyway BEFORE investing in any crypto, right?!)

• Ask yourself - is this hype?

• Check % of wallet holders on a blockchain explorers, eg. Etherscan (more than 20% in a personal wallet = 2 reg flag)

• Never invest what you’re not willing to lose (new coins are higher risk)

Random airdrops

When you get sent random crypto to your wallet from someone anonymous.

When you try to pull them out or awap to another token, they steal the rest of your crypto from your wallet (don’t ask me how!)

• Sometimes you are rewarded new crypto based on crypto/NFTs you hold as a reward. Did any of the projects you hold recently announce AirDrops?

• Research the coin before swapping to anything

• Check details on a blockchain explorer, eg. Etherscan (same address airdropping big amounts/much higher than max supply? Reg flag)

• Ridiculous amount/value when you go to swap OR big price impact (see example)

There are so many. But overall

• Wallet security security security security!

• Don’t give ANYONE your private keys, seed phrases, passwords (and store them offline/off devices)

• Always DYOR - don’t act on emotion!

• If it;s too good to be true, it probably is (no “guarantess” or rich quicks”!)

• Use your intuition/common sense

But most importantly: continue getting EDUCATED!