Fake platformDanger 5
Cloned phishing sites & fake exchanges
A domain almost identical to the real one — the password and code you type go straight into the scammer's dashboard.
Scam Field Guide
The 12 crypto scams retail users hit most
This isn't a list to scare you — it's so you've "met" them before. They're ranked below from most to least dangerous. Click into any one and you'll get the same thing: exactly how it gets you step by step, which signals you can catch early, and what to do if you're already caught.
Fake platformDanger 5
Cloned apps (fake OKX / fake Binance)
An "exchange" installed from outside the app store — so real-looking you only find out after depositing that you can't withdraw.
Romance baitDanger 5
Pig butchering & "signal mentors"
They build a relationship or take you on as a "student," then funnel you into an "insider" platform where you keep adding more.
Wallet approvalDanger 5
Fake airdrops & wallet-approval drains
To "claim" the airdrop you sign one approval — and your whole wallet is emptied in a single transaction.
ImpersonationDanger 4
Fake support & "account unfreeze" scams
"Your account is flagged and needs to be unfrozen" — a script that walks you toward a transfer or handing over your codes.
Second waveDanger 4
USDT "recovery / unfreeze" scams
The "we can recover your money" crew who surface after you've been scammed — they take a fee, then scam you a second time.
Ponzi / HYIPDanger 4
Fake high-yield rebates & Ponzi schemes
Daily fixed "returns," lock-up staking at impossible rates — at heart it's just new deposits paying earlier members' "profit."
Rug pullDanger 4
Fake presales & rug pulls
You can buy but can't sell, or the team yanks the liquidity and vanishes. New-token presales are the worst-hit area.
Investment fraudDanger 4
AI quant & auto-copy-trading scams
"AI quant bot, guaranteed profit, just follow the robot" — usually a Ponzi scheme in a high-tech costume.
ImpersonationDanger 4
Phishing texts & fake official emails
"Suspicious login, KYC about to expire" — texts and emails posing as the exchange to lure you onto a fake site.
Wallet approvalDanger 3
Address poisoning & zero-transfer scams
The scammer sends you a $0 transfer that drops a look-alike address into your history, hoping you copy it next time.
ImpersonationDanger 3
Telegram fake-admin DM scams
An "admin" who DMs you first in a group is almost always a scammer — real support never messages you out of the blue.
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