Cryptocurrency Scams List 2024

If there’s money to be had, scammers will use all means to take it from you and cryptocurrencies aren’t spared; this is why, in this article, we will provide you with a cryptocurrency scams list.

In fact, they’re a primary target for scammers who maximise on the nascent technology and the public’s lack of know-how with cryptocurrencies to position themselves as leaders or experts in the space and earn trust.

Cryptocurrencies have become a popular means of payment and investment, and as a result, scammers are taking advantage of inexperienced and unsuspecting crypto users to steal their hard-earned cash.

Let’s explore the most common cryptocurrency scams and discover some expert-proven tips on how to sidestep falling victim to them.

You can protect your cryptocurrency investments by understanding these scams and taking the required precautions. Let’s find out more. Also, punters might be interested in our article discussing is cryptocurrency gambling legal.

Fake crypto exchanges and wallets occur in various types. Phishing is the first one. This scam type takes place when you get an unsolicited email that poses as if it is from your crypto exchange service provider. 

The email contains a link that transports you to a platform that looks almost the same as the wallet or exchange you’re familiar with but is actually a scam site.

The scammers have all the information they require to access your account and steal money as long as you use your crypto wallet or account details on this unofficial platform.

Here is a list of fake Crypto exchanges:

Just like phishing scams, you need to keep an eye out for fake cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets as they walk and talk like legitimate operators.

However, they’re merely a front to separate you from your hard-earned money. Many attract crypto investors and users with promotions and rewards that seem too good to be true.

On the other hand, others pressure crypto users into opening accounts and making deposits, promising bonuses to individuals who deposit huge amounts of money.

Once they have your funds, they start charging ridiculously high fees, making it difficult to withdraw funds. And as time moves, they steal your deposits altogether.

Another category that scammers have turned its focus on is creating sophisticated fake applications, which, once downloaded and installed on a user’s mobile device, can allow scammers to access sensitive account information.

These applications find their way into official, legitimate mobile app stores such as Google Play. It benefits to research before you can download any app to your smartphone or tablet.

You might be interested in our article on MiCA Crypto Regulation.

Crypto users and investors use specialised exchange platforms to convert their assets from traditional or fiat currencies such as dollars and pounds to cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Bitcoin. These platforms also help convert one crypto to another, such as Dogecoin to Bitcoin and from cryptocurrencies to fiat currency. 

Many crypto exchange platforms are centralised firms that match digital asset sellers and buyers. Generally, they take fees or charge commissions for their service.

Most of them have online bank-like operations. They take customer deposits, offer loans to undisclosed third parties and earn profits from the difference in interest.

While crypto exchange platforms present themselves as an easy and safe way to trade your digital assets, using them, in most cases, comes with numerous risks, especially when you sign up with risky exchanges. 

These are exchanges that don’t have their customers’ interests in mind. They take advantage of unfamiliar and unsuspecting crypto users to steal their money. Most risky crypto exchanges are incorporated or located in third-world countries where regulations aren’t strict.

When crypto users suspect fraudulent activities, the appropriate authorities find it challenging to investigate the exchanges.

Also, these exchanges aren’t registered as depository institutions, money transmitters or securities brokers. They don’t tell you what they do with your digital assets and have previously interrupted or frozen customer withdrawals for no reason.

You cannot easily find these exchange platforms’ wallets on the blockchain, and they have a minimal presence online.

Risky crypto exchanges are operated by bad actors, or those under financial constraint could easily refuse to return your digital assets, making life difficult for you. You risk losing your hard-earned cash if they close their doors or collapse.

Even if the exchange is legitimate but starts acting as a risky one, you would most likely be the unsecured creditor and last to recover anything.

Scammers can use multiple techniques to drain your crypto wallet. Some attacks depend on social engineering – deploying tricks to get cryptocurrency users to reveal their seed phrases and passwords or sniffing around for sensitive personal information. 

Other techniques simply require knowing a crypto user’s wallet address. Many crypto attacks are social engineering. Crypto users are being lured to a certain platform, and they are requested to connect their wallets. Once they connect, transactions pop up, and their funds are gone.

Many scams in the cryptocurrency industry originate on social media. They’re common with Instagram and Twitter. Almost half the victims who report losing their digital assets to scams say that it all starts with a message, post or ad on a social media platform.

The most common scam is social media crypto giveaways. Scammers hide behind fake celebrity accounts, which promote the giveaways to lure crypto users in. When they click on the giveaways, they’re transported to fraudulent platforms asking for verification to get the crypto.

In most cases, the verification process includes making a deposit to prove the account is genuine. Victims can lose their deposits or, worse yet, follow malicious links and have their sensitive information and crypto stolen.

Another common social media scam is the blue-checked account. Since the acquisition of Twitter, users can no longer glance at a blue check after a name. That means they cannot be sure it is a verified account since any Twitter Blue subscriber only needs to make a minimum payment of €8 to get the mark.

Before you can be a victim, always check the account to be sure it’s verified. Look at other posts, their number of followers, and how long they’ve been active. Any brand new account with a handful of followers that seems just to be shilling cryptocurrency projects is unlikely to be legitimate.

YouTube is also common with crypto scams. Scammers set up fake livestreams to steal crypto from viewers. Scammers create legitimate-looking YouTube livestreams, in most cases, using stolen content to enhance their authority. They offer links to seemingly tempting content, including giveaways. 

These links, in most cases, are malicious phishing attempts or simply direct users to send their cryptocurrency for the “expert” to invest.

To be safe, you need to check the YouTube channel’s history, including videos posted and when it started, to avoid scams. Stay away from any new channel with just a few videos.

DeFi and NFTs are especially susceptible to rug pull scams. As a type of exit scam, a rug pull takes advantage of the fact that DeFi eliminates the intermediaries involved in transactions with the ease of creating a brand-new token.

Scammers can easily create a cryptocurrency token and then get it listed on a decentralised exchange platform without having to go through any type of code audit or background check. 

Over 110,000 scam tokens have been created, stealing billions of pounds from unskilled and unsuspecting crypto users. In most cases, freshly listed cryptocurrencies soar in price, and enthusiastic investors may use filters such as “top gainers” or “recently added” to filter for new and hot coins without researching the projects.

After discovering the prices have been picked, the founders disappear with the investor’s funds, leaving holders with nothing.

In the non-fungible tokens space, scammers create whole collections that knock off or copy a popular collection to attract susceptible purchasers. Scammers use fake plays on legitimate collections to defraud purchasers by promising goodies before disappearing with huge amounts of money.

It’s advisable to know how you can identify scams in order to safeguard your cryptocurrency. Some common red flags are:

⚫ Promises for huge gains or double the investments

⚫ Contractual obligations

⚫ Only accepting crypto as payment

⚫ Manipulation tactics like blackmail or extortion

⚫ Promises of free funds

⚫ Fake celebrity endorsements or influencers that seem out of place

Let’s look at some expert-proven ways to avoid scams:

Keep your wallet secure: Store your crypto in a self-hosted wallet, and never share private keys with anyone.

Too good to be true offers: Crypto scammers, in most cases, make false promises about investment earnings that are unrealistic. There is no free money, so, don’t take advantage of any get-rich-quick rip-offs. They’re always scams; avoid them.

Be cautious of social media hypes: Crypto scammers often take advantage of social media to popularise their latest scams and present them as investment opportunities. Be worried about any advertisements that use images of high-profile people or celebrities in an effort to make their investments seem legitimate.  

Urgent investment opportunities: Always do your due diligence and take time to research all options available to you before you can accept an investment opportunity. Only make informed decisions, and you’ll be able to sidestep crypto scams.

If you’ve fallen for a crypto scam and shared sensitive information, taking immediate action is advisable. The first thing you need to do is to contact your banking institution immediately, especially if you’ve shared any sensitive information or used your bank card.

They may retarget you or sell your information. That’s why you need to change your security details and passwords.