Blog and insights
Research and guidance on blockchain investigation, cryptocurrency fraud, and asset tracing, written for clients and counsel, not search engines.
Cryptocurrency Scams: The Complete Guide to How Crypto Scams Work
Cryptocurrency scams can take many forms, from fake investment platforms and phishing messages to wallet drainers, impersonation, romance fraud, and fake recovery services. Some schemes are technically sophisticated; others rely mainly on trust, urgency, fear, or the promise of e
How to Spot a Crypto Scam: 25 Warning Signs to Watch For
Learning how to spot a crypto scam before sending money can prevent a devastating loss. Scammers often make fraudulent opportunities look professional and trustworthy, so the most useful warning signs are usually found in the claims, pressure, payment requests, and behavior surro
The Most Common Cryptocurrency Scams and How to Avoid Them
Cryptocurrency fraud is a broad category rather than a single type of scam. Criminals combine investment fraud, social engineering, impersonation, phishing, malicious applications, and fraudulent tokens to target different groups of users. Understanding the main categories makes
How Crypto Scammers Gain Your Trust Before Stealing Your Money
Many crypto scams succeed because the criminal first creates a believable relationship. The victim may not initially be offered a suspicious investment. Instead, the scammer builds familiarity, credibility, and emotional trust until a financial request feels reasonable.
Why Cryptocurrency Is Targeted by Scammers
Cryptocurrency is used by legitimate individuals and businesses around the world, but its features can also be exploited by criminals. Understanding why helps users focus on practical security rather than assuming that every crypto interaction is dangerous.
Crypto Scam Red Flags: What You Should Never Ignore
Crypto scam red flags are signals that should make you stop and verify before transferring money or authorizing a transaction. The strongest warning is often not a single feature but a combination of financial pressure, secrecy, unrealistic promises, and requests for irreversible
How to Verify Whether a Crypto Website or Platform Is Legitimate
A professional-looking crypto website can still be fraudulent. Criminals can copy logos, dashboards, support pages, investment charts, and even the visual identity of well-known companies. Verification should therefore happen outside the website itself.
How to Check if a Cryptocurrency Investment Is Legit or a Scam
A cryptocurrency investment can look convincing while still being fraudulent. Before depositing money, examine the company, the investment model, the promised returns, the withdrawal process, and the evidence supporting the opportunity.
Crypto Investment Scams: How Fake Investments Steal Your Money
Crypto investment scams are designed to make victims believe they are accumulating real wealth when the displayed profits or platform may be fraudulent. The scheme can look like a legitimate brokerage, trading service, portfolio manager, or digital-asset opportunity.
Pig Butchering Crypto Scams: How They Work and How to Stay Safe
Pig-butchering scams are prolonged relationship-based investment fraud schemes. Rather than demanding money immediately, the scammer gradually develops trust and then introduces a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment opportunity.
Fake Crypto Trading Platforms: Warning Signs and How to Verify Them
Fake crypto trading platforms imitate exchanges, brokerages, and investment services to convince users to deposit cryptocurrency. They can look remarkably professional, complete with charts, account dashboards, customer support, and apparent profits.
Crypto Ponzi Schemes: How They Work and How to Recognize Them
Crypto Ponzi schemes can look like legitimate investment opportunities while relying on new money to support earlier participants. Learn the signs before depositing funds. This guide explains the pattern, the warning signs, and practical steps that can reduce the chance of furthe
Crypto Pyramid Schemes: How Recruitment-Based Scams Work
Some crypto scams depend more on recruiting people than on a real product or sustainable investment strategy. Learn how pyramid structures work and what to check. This guide explains the pattern, the warning signs, and practical steps that can reduce the chance of further loss.
Crypto Pump-and-Dump Scams: How Token Price Manipulation Works
Pump-and-dump schemes can create dramatic price moves that look like a rare investment opportunity. Here is how the pattern works and what investors should question. This guide explains the pattern, the warning signs, and practical steps that can reduce the chance of further loss
Fake Crypto Brokers and Investment Advisers: How to Spot the Scam
A convincing broker profile does not prove that a crypto investment service is legitimate. Learn how fake advisers recruit victims and how to verify claims independently. This guide explains the pattern, the warning signs, and practical steps that can reduce the chance of further
Crypto Trading Bot Scams: Fake AI, Arbitrage, and Automated Profit Claims
Automated trading can be legitimate, but scammers also use bot and AI language to sell impossible profit claims. Learn how to distinguish technology from a deposit scam. This guide explains the pattern, the warning signs, and practical steps that can reduce the chance of further
Fake Crypto Profits: How Scammers Create False Balances and Returns
One of the most effective crypto scam tactics is making a victim believe their money has grown. Learn why displayed profits are not proof of real assets. This guide explains the pattern, the warning signs, and practical steps that can reduce the chance of further loss.
Crypto Withdrawal Scams: Fake Taxes, Fees, and Unlock Payments
A withdrawal request can expose a scam when the platform suddenly demands another payment before releasing your crypto. Learn the common fee-trap patterns. This guide explains the pattern, the warning signs, and practical steps that can reduce the chance of further loss.
Crypto Wallet Drainer Scams: How Malicious Transactions Steal Tokens
Wallet drainers can trick users into signing transactions or approvals that transfer valuable assets. Learn the mechanics at a practical level and how to respond. This guide explains the pattern, the warning signs, and practical steps that can reduce the chance of further loss.
Seed Phrase Scams: How Criminals Trick You Into Giving Up Your Wallet
A seed phrase is one of the most sensitive credentials in a self-custody wallet. Learn why legitimate support should not need it and how scammers try to obtain it. This guide explains the pattern, the warning signs, and practical steps that can reduce the chance of further loss.
Private Key Scams: Why No Legitimate Support Needs Your Private Key
A private key is a critical credential for controlling a crypto account. Learn how criminals try to obtain it and how to respond to exposure. This guide explains the pattern, the warning signs, and practical steps that can reduce the chance of further loss.
Fake Crypto Customer Support Scams: How Impersonators Steal Funds
When a crypto user has a problem, a fake support account may appear helpful. Learn the common impersonation tactics and how to contact genuine support safely. This guide explains the pattern, the warning signs, and practical steps that can reduce the chance of further loss.
Crypto Phishing Scams: How Fake Links Steal Wallet Access
Learn how crypto phishing scams use fake websites, messages, emails, and social media to steal credentials or trick users into authorizing transactions. This guide explains the scam pattern, the evidence to check, and practical steps that can reduce further risk.
Fake Crypto Airdrop Scams: How Fraudulent Token Claims Work
Fake crypto airdrops use free-token claims to attract wallet users. Learn how fraudulent claim pages, malicious approvals, and impersonation tactics can lead to losses. This guide explains the scam pattern, the evidence to check, and practical steps that can reduce further risk.
Token Impersonation Scams: How Fake Crypto Tokens Trick Investors
Fake tokens can copy the name, ticker, logo, and branding of legitimate crypto assets. Learn how token impersonation works and how to verify a contract before buying. This guide explains the scam pattern, the evidence to check, and practical steps that can reduce further risk.
Crypto Rug Pull Scams: How Projects Can Disappear With Investor Funds
Learn how crypto rug pulls can drain liquidity, abandon projects, or exploit investor trust. Discover practical checks before buying a new token or joining a DeFi project. This guide explains the scam pattern, the evidence to check, and practical steps that can reduce further ris
Honeypot Token Scams: When You Can Buy Crypto but Cannot Sell
Learn how crypto honeypot tokens can appear tradable while restricting or preventing sales. Understand the warning signs and research steps before buying. This guide explains the scam pattern, the evidence to check, and practical steps that can reduce further risk.
Crypto Romance Scams: How Emotional Trust Becomes an Investment Trap
Crypto romance scams combine emotional relationships with investment fraud. Learn how scammers build trust, introduce cryptocurrency, and pressure victims to deposit money. This guide explains the scam pattern, the evidence to check, and practical steps that can reduce further ri
Wrong-Number Crypto Scams: How a Simple Message Turns Into Investment Fraud
Wrong-number scams can begin with an accidental-looking message and develop into a cryptocurrency investment pitch. Learn the pattern and how to avoid it. This guide explains the scam pattern, the evidence to check, and practical steps that can reduce further risk.
Crypto Giveaway Scams: Fake Free Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Token Promotions
Fake crypto giveaways promise free Bitcoin, Ethereum, or tokens in exchange for a payment or wallet interaction. Learn how giveaway scams work and how to verify promotions. This guide explains the scam pattern, the evidence to check, and practical steps that can reduce further ri
Celebrity Crypto Scams: How Impersonation Is Used to Steal Cryptocurrency
Celebrity crypto scams use impersonation, fake endorsements, deepfakes, and fraudulent giveaways to create credibility. Learn how to verify a celebrity-related crypto claim. This guide explains the scam pattern, the evidence to check, and practical steps that can reduce further r
Crypto Government Impersonation Scams: Fake Officials, Courts, and Investigators
Scammers impersonate government agencies, courts, police, regulators, or investigators to demand cryptocurrency payments. Learn the warning signs and what to do. This guide explains the scam pattern, the evidence to check, and practical steps that can reduce further risk.
Crypto Tax Scams: Fake Tax Bills, Clearance Fees, and IRS Impersonation
Crypto tax scams use fake tax bills, clearance fees, and authority impersonation to demand cryptocurrency. Learn how to distinguish real tax obligations from fraud. This guide explains the scam pattern, the evidence to check, and practical steps that can reduce further risk.
Wrong-Number Crypto Scams: How an Innocent Message Can Become an Investment Scam
A simple “Sorry, wrong number” text message has become one of the most effective entry points for cryptocurrency investment fraud. What starts as a polite correction often evolves into a weeks-long grooming process that ends with victims sending large amounts of crypto to scammer
Social Media Crypto Scams: How Scammers Find and Target Victims
Social media platforms have become the leading discovery channel for cryptocurrency scams. According to multiple 2025 reports, a significant percentage of crypto fraud victims first encountered the scammer on Instagram, X (Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, Telegram, or dating apps.
Crypto Rug Pulls: How Token Developers Can Disappear With Investors’ Money
A rug pull is one of the most common and damaging forms of cryptocurrency fraud. Project insiders create hype around a new token, attract buyer liquidity, and then extract the value, leaving holders with nearly worthless assets.
Honeypot Crypto Scams: How Tokens Can Trap You From Selling
Honeypot tokens are engineered so that anyone can buy but most holders cannot sell. Victims watch paper profits rise while their funds remain trapped.
Fake Airdrop Scams: How Free Crypto Offers Can Drain Your Wallet
The promise of free tokens remains one of the most effective lures in cryptocurrency. Fake airdrop campaigns have drained hundreds of millions of dollars by tricking users into signing malicious transactions.
Fake Token Scams: How Fraudsters Create Tokens to Steal Cryptocurrency
Anyone can create a new token on most blockchains within minutes. Fraudsters exploit this ease by deploying malicious or deceptive tokens, generating artificial hype, and extracting value from buyers.
DeFi Scams: The Biggest Risks When Using Decentralized Finance
Decentralized Finance removes intermediaries and gives users direct control—and direct responsibility. This creates powerful opportunities and concentrated risks.
Liquidity Mining Scams: How Fake Crypto Mining Investments Work
Liquidity mining and yield-farming scams promise high returns for providing liquidity or “mining” rewards, then disappear with deposited funds.
Crypto Staking Scams: How Fake Yield Platforms Steal Deposits
Fake staking platforms promise attractive yields for locking cryptocurrency and then steal the deposits.
NFT Scams: The Most Common NFT Frauds and How to Avoid Them
The NFT market has attracted a wide range of frauds that exploit hype, collectible value, and the need to connect wallets.
Fake NFT Minting Sites: How Wallet Draining Attacks Work
Fake mint sites remain one of the most effective wallet-draining methods, especially around popular NFT launches.
Smart Contract Scams: What Crypto Users Should Know Before Signing Transactions
Every on-chain interaction is a smart-contract call. Signing the wrong one can permanently transfer assets or grant lasting permissions that allow future drainage.
AI Crypto Scams: How Artificial Intelligence Is Being Used to Defraud Investors
Artificial intelligence has significantly lowered the cost and increased the scale and persuasiveness of cryptocurrency scams.
Deepfake Crypto Scams: How Fake Videos and Voices Are Used by Criminals
Deepfake technology allows scammers to create realistic video and audio of real people, making social-engineering attacks far more convincing.
Crypto ATM Scams: How Criminals Trick Victims Into Sending Bitcoin
Cryptocurrency ATMs are increasingly used in social-engineering scams, particularly against older adults and those less familiar with crypto.
Crypto Blackmail and Extortion Scams: What to Do If You’re Targeted
Crypto blackmail (including sextortion) involves threats to release compromising material or private information unless cryptocurrency is paid.
Crypto Malware: How Malicious Software Can Steal Your Cryptocurrency
Malware remains a direct technical threat to cryptocurrency holdings.
What to Do After Being Scammed With Cryptocurrency: A Step-by-Step Guide
Discovering you have been scammed out of cryptocurrency is extremely stressful. Because most blockchain transactions are irreversible, speed, discipline, and thorough documentation matter more than hope.
How to Report a Cryptocurrency Scam and What Evidence to Keep
Correct and timely reporting maximizes the limited chances of recovery and helps authorities disrupt larger operations.
How Blockchain Tracing Works After Cryptocurrency Is Stolen
Most public blockchains create a permanent, transparent record of every transaction. This transparency enables blockchain tracing (also called blockchain forensics).
Crypto Recovery Scams: How Fake Recovery Companies Target Victims
After losing money to a cryptocurrency scam, many victims are targeted a second time by operators claiming they can recover the funds.
Can Stolen Cryptocurrency Be Recovered? What Victims Should Know
Stolen cryptocurrency is difficult—but not always impossible—to recover. Success depends heavily on timing, the path the funds took, and whether they reach a point where legal process can intervene.