Crypto scam types
How the most common crypto scams work, the warning signs, and what to do if it happened to you.
Knowing which scam you met helps you act faster, and helps police and exchanges understand your case. If you have already lost money, start with what to do first.
A
- Address poisoning: when you copy the wrong wallet address
- A scammer sends you a tiny payment from an address that looks like one you use, hoping you copy it next time.
F
- Fake crypto investment platforms and trading apps
- A website or app that looks like a real exchange, shows fake profits, and never lets you withdraw.
- Fake crypto recovery services: how to spot a recovery scam
- People who promise to recover your stolen crypto for an upfront fee are almost always scammers too.
P
- Pig butchering scams: how they work and what to do
- A scammer builds a friendship or romance over weeks, then gets you to 'invest' in a fake crypto platform that shows fake profits.
W
- Wallet drainers: how one signature empties a crypto wallet
- A fake site asks you to 'connect' and sign. The signature gives a scammer permission to take your tokens.