How to Avoid a Crypto Scam. Cryptocurrency is a new and popular way to make transactions online. Unfortunately, it’s also an attractive target for scammers who use it to steal money from unsuspecting people.
Scammers often target people who aren’t familiar with cryptocurrency, promising big payouts and guaranteed returns in a short amount of time. These promises are simply impossible to keep.
Fraudulent Websites
Cryptocurrencies are still a new technology, so it’s natural that scammers would try to capitalize on their popularity. They may create fake websites that look similar to legitimate ones, or they may ask you to share your private key information to access your wallet.
Phishing scams have long been a favorite of cybercriminals, who can use social engineering techniques to lure their victims into clicking on links to bogus websites that steal their account details. They can also impersonate well-known firms, such as Amazon or your bank, utility companies or government agencies, and post links on social media or send phishing emails.
Another common phishing technique involves sending an email that directs users to a website asking them to provide private key information. Once hackers have this information, they can gain access to cryptocurrency wallets and steal digital assets.
The security firm Netskope recently spotted fake pages for popular crypto services that are designed to dupe visitors into providing the information they need to hack into their wallets. The sham sites mimic popular services including Coinbase, Gemini, Kraken and MetaMask.
These fake pages often appear high up in search results, allowing hackers to capture private keys that can be used to steal your crypto. Once they have this information, they can then access your funds and sell them for money.
Scammers can also impersonate verified accounts on social media, posing as celebrities or people who have made significant sums of money using crypto. They may claim to have received a “special deal” on crypto or to have been “given” free coins by the government or a major company.
Giveaway scams are also popular on social media, with victims encouraged to quickly send money to the bogus giveaway accounts before they disappear. These scams often include blue “verified” check marks or thousands of likes and retweets, but this doesn’t mean anything.
Typically, giveaways are only available for a short period of time and will only give you a small amount of cryptocurrency. The only way to avoid this type of scam is to research the crypto opportunity you’re considering and talk to a financial professional before investing.
Phone Calls
Crypto scams can be a great way to lose money, but there are ways to protect yourself. One way is to stay alert for these shady calls.
Scammers often call unsuspecting victims and ask for personal information. You should never give out this information in response to an unsolicited call, and you should block the number immediately once you’ve ended the conversation.
Another type of scam involves phony callers who claim to be from banks, law enforcement agencies or other institutions of authority. They may cite some type of wrongdoing you have committed, and then try to scare you with threats of fines or arrest if you don’t pay the money they request.
These calls can sound legitimate if you’re busy, but they are a common scam that uses robocall technology to target people in distress. Police warn that this is a particularly dangerous type of spam, as it can put you in harm’s way.
Scammers are also targeting customers who have recently invested in crypto. These scams usually involve investment opportunities where you invest money in cryptocurrency. They then lock you out and steal the money. They can also trick you into purchasing a phishing website that captures your details and then logs you in later to steal your funds.
If you’re a crypto investor, you might receive calls from fraudsters who claim to be from Coinbase or another popular crypto exchange. These calls may sound legit at first, but the fraudsters will use your fear of your account being hacked to trick you into divulging your two-factor authentication code.
As a result, these calls can lead to significant losses for people who invest in the cryptocurrency. A recent report by CNBC found that the type of scam in question is stealing $7.7 billion in crypto from investors around the world.
The bots are sold on messaging platform Telegram, and they’re designed to lure victims into revealing their crypto wallets’ two-factor authentication codes, which will wipe their accounts. The bots can be bought for as little as $100 a month, but they can net the perpetrators thousands of dollars or more in stolen funds.
Emails
Crypto scams often use email as a way to gain access to your digital wallet and transfer money into their blockchain addresses. They can also send you emails that look like they come from a trusted source, such as your bank or cryptocurrency exchange.
There are some red flags you should watch out for when it comes to crypto emails, including requests for your private crypto keys. The keys are what allow you to use your crypto wallets and send them to a specific address. No legitimate cryptocurrency exchange would ever ask for these, nor will any legit company require you to share these.
The most common type of crypto scam is phishing, where criminals impersonate a reputable company and attempt to trick you into giving them access to your wallet or other private information. This can include your passwords, bank account information, and more.
Phishing email scams aren’t new; they’ve been around since the Internet was first created, but they’ve recently taken on a crypto twist. These scams usually feature a link to a website that looks suspiciously similar to a reputable crypto-related company, and they ask you to click on it to gain access to your digital wallet or other accounts.
If you’re not sure if an email is a phishing scam, report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center IC3 and/or eConsumer. You can also report a scam to your local law enforcement agency or to the crypto exchange you used to send money to the fraudster.
Investing in cryptocurrency is a popular way for people to make big bucks, but it’s easy to fall victim to a crypto scam. Scammers claim you’ll make tons of money from investing in a particular coin or platform, and then they take your money. They may even offer to meet you in person and give you an investment strategy.
Many of these scams are designed to catch you off guard, and get you to make a quick decision without thinking it through. They’re meant to scare you into making a decision that might hurt your financial future.
Text Messages
Crypto scams are becoming increasingly common, and text messages are no exception. They can include spoofed phone numbers, links to fraudulent websites, and scammer requests for money or personal information. If you’re not careful, these scams can cause serious damage to your bank account.
The best way to avoid crypto scams is to avoid clicking on suspicious links or opening attachments. These can contain malicious software that can access your data and steal your password. Also, don’t respond to any unsolicited text messages that you don’t recognize.
Some scam texts claim to be from your government, and ask you to provide confidential information or risk losing out on certain benefits. These are a form of impersonation fraud, so it’s important to stay alert and report them to the police.
Another form of phishing text message is the one that claims to be from your bank, and is asking for personal information or your access codes. If you click on the link, it could direct you to a spoofed website that looks like your bank’s, but isn’t.
A scammer may send you a text that says they’ve discovered embarrassing photos or videos of you. They’ll then threaten to post them on the internet unless you pay them in cryptocurrency. This is blackmail, and you should never do it.
If you receive a text that’s asking for your personal information, delete it and contact your bank to let them know. You should also block the number.
Then, look at the text to see if it has any strange grammar or spelling mistakes. It might also be urgent, asking you to do something quickly or threatening you with a fine if you don’t comply.
Guillermo is an Australian who recently received a text message from a company called “Real Time Payments,” which says they’re going to shut down his credit card account. He suspects this is a scam, but it’s difficult to tell because it comes from a spoofed number and appears legitimate.
The scam works by leveraging your mobile phone’s computing power to mine bitcoin. The cybercriminals send the text to thousands of people, and when they follow a shortened URL the text will direct them to sites that ask for their ID number, banking details, and login credentials. The attacker then uses these details to gain access to your account and steal your funds.
