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No checklist can certify a crypto presale as safe. Before sending funds, independently verify who is offering it, what the sale promises, and what any wallet connection or transaction authorizes. Guaranteed returns, deadline pressure, unsolicited reward links, requests for your seed phrase, and fees demanded to release funds are serious warning signs—but they are not, by themselves, an investigation of a particular sale.
Warning signs that deserve a pause
Guaranteed profits and pressure to act
Promises of guaranteed, unusually large, or fast returns should be treated skeptically. The FBI says, “There is no such thing as a guaranteed return on investment.” The FTC likewise warns that scammers use promises of quick gains to draw people into crypto investments. A pitch about getting in on the “ground floor,” a short deadline, a supposedly scarce allocation, or matching funds to encourage a larger deposit adds pressure rather than proof. These are warning signs, not conclusive evidence that a particular presale is fraudulent. FBI/IC3 investment-fraud guidance; FTC consumer guidance
Polished sites, testimonials, and apparent gains
A professional-looking website, support portal, friendly online contact, or positive testimonial does not establish that an offering is genuine. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) describes investment scams that begin through social media, text, dating sites, or group chats, then build trust before directing a person to a platform. Scammers may use names or domains that resemble legitimate businesses and display fabricated balances or returns. In some cases, they allow a small early withdrawal to make the platform seem trustworthy before seeking larger deposits. Treat screenshots, displayed gains, and a successful small withdrawal as weak evidence—not verification. FBI/IC3 investment-fraud guidance
Unsolicited links and requests for wallet secrets
Do not reveal a seed phrase, wallet password, or one-time code to a promoter or in response to unsolicited contact. The FBI describes criminals using airdrop or reward messages to lure wallet users to third-party sites or decentralized applications (dApps), where they may be asked to connect a wallet or enter credentials. A seed phrase—typically a wallet-generated sequence of 12 to 24 words—is a key to the associated crypto. A message appearing in a wallet or promising a reward does not make its link trustworthy. Verify offers through an official channel you locate independently. The FBI’s wallet-focused warning concerns Hedera airdrop abuse; its credential and unsolicited-link lessons are useful more broadly, but do not establish that every chain or presale works the same way. FBI wallet-safety public service announcement
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Extra payments to withdraw
A demand for additional “taxes,” release charges, or other fees before you can withdraw is a major red flag. IC3 warns that scammers may freeze an apparent account and demand arbitrary payments; paying can lead to another demand rather than the release of funds. Do not treat a previous small withdrawal as proof that the platform is legitimate. FBI/IC3 investment-fraud guidance
How to check a presale before sending crypto
Use independent evidence, not the promoter’s own site or chat group, to assess an offer. These checks can reveal warning signs, but they are not a validated scoring system and cannot guarantee safety.
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- Verify identity and domain. Search the project name, website address, and identifying details independently. Check whether claims about the team, seller, and project are supported outside the sale materials. Be alert to domains that imitate legitimate organizations. Do not rely on a polished site, testimonials, group chats, or screenshots as substitutes for verification. FBI/IC3 investment-fraud guidance
- Read the promises and the pressure tactics together. Look for guaranteed returns, claims of easy or rapid profits, brief deadlines, scarce allocations, “ground floor” invitations, or incentives to deposit more. Consider whether claims can be independently substantiated; urgency is not evidence that a deal is sound. FBI/IC3 investment-fraud guidance; FTC consumer guidance
- Inspect what the wallet request does. Do not enter a seed phrase, password, or one-time code into an unsolicited link or provide it to a promoter. Before connecting a wallet or approving a transaction, make sure you understand what the request authorizes; if you cannot establish that through a channel you found independently, stop. FBI wallet-safety public service announcement
- Check withdrawal terms before paying. Be wary of claims that you must send more crypto to unlock a balance or withdraw. An apparent account balance or an earlier small withdrawal is not reliable proof of a real investment. FBI/IC3 investment-fraud guidance
- Consider the legal context without relying on a token label. In U.S. federal securities context, the SEC’s April 2026 guidance says a crypto asset that is not itself a security may still be offered and sold as part of an investment contract. Its discussion refers to an investment of money in a common enterprise, a reasonable expectation of profits, and profits derived from the essential managerial efforts of others. Whether securities laws apply depends on the facts; calling something a “utility token” or another label does not settle the issue. This is not individualized legal advice. SEC April 2026 guidance
If you already sent funds or shared credentials
- Stop sending money. Do not pay purported withdrawal taxes, release fees, or deposits to a supposed recovery agent. Additional payments may deepen the loss. FBI/IC3 investment-fraud guidance; FBI recovery-scam warning
- Secure accounts if credentials may be compromised. Contact the relevant wallet, exchange, or account provider using contact details you verify independently. Regain control where possible, change passwords, and monitor for suspicious access or transactions. FBI wallet-safety public service announcement
- Preserve evidence. Keep messages, emails, website details, and transaction records. For a cryptocurrency report, the FBI says useful information includes wallet addresses, the amount and type of cryptocurrency, the date and time, and the transaction hash. FBI wallet-safety public service announcement
- Report the suspected fraud. In the United States, report cryptocurrency investment fraud to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Reporting channels and remedies elsewhere depend on the country; consult local official authorities.
- Watch for a second scam. The FBI warns that supposed recovery businesses may approach victims through direct messages, comments, or search results, demand an upfront fee, and then disappear or ask for more. Private recovery companies cannot issue seizure orders. Do not share more personal or financial information with an unsolicited recovery agent, and report the offer as well as the original fraud. No private service, exchange, or law-enforcement report can guarantee that a transfer will be recovered. FBI recovery-scam warning
What the reported loss figures do—and do not—show
The FTC reported that more than 46,000 people had reported losing over $1 billion to crypto scams since the start of 2021 in its 2022 data recap. That is a reporting window and figure published in 2022, not a current annual total. The FBI’s August 11, 2023 recovery-scam alert cited more than $2.5 billion in cryptocurrency investment-fraud losses reported to IC3 in 2022 alone. That figure concerns reported crypto investment fraud, not all cryptocurrency crime. Neither statistic establishes how often presales are scams or whether a particular offer is fraudulent. FTC 2022 data spotlight; FBI recovery-scam warning
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