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A familiar logo, convincing profile, caller ID, or crypto account balance does not prove who you are dealing with—or that an investment is real. Verify unexpected requests using contact details you find independently, not a number, link, or QR code sent by the person contacting you. Crypto itself is not the scam; the danger is a false identity, fabricated investment, or coerced payment.
Recognize the common crypto scam patterns
Scammers use different stories, but the warning signs often converge: an unexpected approach, pressure to act, a request to move money, and evidence controlled by the person asking you to pay.
| Pattern | How it works | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Relationship investment scam | An online contact builds trust through social media, messaging, professional networking, or a dating service, then recommends a crypto investment. This pattern is also called “pig butchering.” Fake testimonials, images, videos, and apparent profits can support the pitch. | Be wary when a new friend or romantic contact shifts into investment advice, claims insider knowledge, or urges you to invest. Do not send money to an online romantic contact you have not met in person. Discuss the pitch with someone you trust. Investor.gov’s relationship investment scam guidance and the September 10, 2024 joint investor alert describe these tactics. |
| Fake investment site or app | A site or app appears to show account growth, but its displayed balance does not establish that funds were invested or can be withdrawn. The operator may press for more deposits. | Research the business and offer independently. Treat guaranteed, unusually high, or rapid returns—and pressure to add funds—as warning signs. A screen controlled by the solicitor is not independent proof. Investor.gov’s crypto investment scam guidance explains common claims. |
| Company, agency, or professional impersonation | An unexpected caller or message claims there is an account problem or security breach and tells you to protect your money by transferring it, buying crypto, using a crypto ATM, or scanning a payment QR code. | End the interaction and contact the organization using a number on a statement or a known official login. Do not use contact details supplied in the message. Government agencies and utilities do not require cryptocurrency payments to resolve a problem. The FTC’s crypto payment scam alert states: “Nobody from the government, law enforcement, utility company, or prize promoter will ever tell you to pay them with cryptocurrency.” |
| Recovery or refund scam | After a loss, someone unexpectedly claims they can recover the money, then asks for an advance fee, crypto, or sensitive account information. | Do not pay unexpected upfront fees or hand over account details. Report the new contact as well as the original fraud. The FTC warns about refund and recovery scams. |
Check the pitch before sending money
- Did an unknown person start a conversation through social media, a messaging service, a dating app, or text, then try to move it off-platform?
- Did an online friend or romantic interest unexpectedly offer investment guidance or claim to have an insider?
- Are returns described as easy, guaranteed, unusually high, or fast? Is the person pressing you to make another deposit?
- Are the claimed profits visible only on a website or app controlled by the person who solicited the money?
- Is someone claiming to represent a government agency, utility, company, broker, or investment professional asking for crypto, a wire, or a transfer to a “safe” account?
- Did an unexpected recovery expert contact you after a loss and ask for advance payment or sensitive information?
Testimonials, celebrity claims, apparent wealth, caller ID, and a polished site are not proof of legitimacy. Look up the business and offer independently, including complaints and scam reports; do not rely on links or phone numbers supplied by the person making the pitch.
What to do if you suspect a scam or already paid
- Stop the conversation and do not send more. Do not pay another supposed tax, unlock, verification, or recovery fee, and do not share more personal information. Investor.gov advises suspected victims to stop communicating and give no more money.
- Save evidence. Keep messages, usernames, phone numbers, email headers, website addresses, transaction records, wallet addresses, and receipts. Save them before blocking or reporting the account.
- Contact the payment provider promptly. Use an independently verified channel to reach the bank, card issuer, wire service, crypto exchange, ATM operator, or payment app involved. Explain that the transaction was fraudulent and ask whether it or the affected account can be stopped or secured. Whether a payment can be reversed depends on the payment method and circumstances; recovery is not guaranteed.
- Secure exposed accounts. If you shared passwords, identity details, verification codes, or account access, contact the relevant institution using a known channel and change exposed credentials. Do not give a caller remote access or verification codes.
- Report the fraud. Report investment fraud to the SEC when appropriate, consumer fraud to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and the profile or message to the platform where contact began. The appropriate reporting venue depends on the facts and jurisdiction.
- Watch for follow-up scams. People who have already lost money may be targeted again by unsolicited recovery or refund offers. Treat each new request for payment or account information as a separate warning sign.
Why apparent returns and recovery promises deserve caution
The FTC reported in a June 2022 data spotlight that more than 46,000 people had reported losing over $1 billion in cryptocurrency to scams since the start of 2021. That is a historical count of reports through the FTC’s reporting system for that period—not a complete count of victims, a current annual estimate, or a measure of guaranteed total losses. FTC’s June 2022 data spotlight.
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- Proven security at scale: Over 9 years and millions of cards issued with no known remote hacks, while military‑grade EAL6+ security keeps your private keys locked inside the chip. Your cryptocurrencies stay strongly protected from online attackers.
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- Smart backup: Use your second Tangem Wallet as your Backup keys with end‑to‑end encryption; no more papers, pictures. If one card is lost, the remaining can still restore full access, with an optional seed phrase available for advanced users.
- Engineered to last up to 25 years: Waterproof (IP69K), shockproof and tested for extreme temperatures from −25°C to 50°C. A durable cold wallet with long‑term protection and independently audited security.
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