15 Crypto Scams You *MUST* to Avoid in 2024

As the popularity of cryptocurrencies continues to soar, so does the number of scams associated with it. Digital currencies provide a new frontier for financial investments, offering numerous opportunities for significant returns.

Unfortunately, these prospective gains also attract an array of scammers looking to exploit the excitement around this new technology.

In 2024, there are several scams to be aware of, and here are 15 of the most common ones:

1- Pump and Dump Schemes:

A “pump and dump” scheme is a fraudulent practice that involves artificially inflating the price of an owned stock (or in this case, a cryptocurrency) through false and misleading positive statements. The purpose is to boost the price high enough to attract unsuspecting investors, who are led to believe they’re buying into a legitimate and promising asset.

Here’s how it typically unfolds:

1. Pump: The fraudsters, often large holders or organized groups, purchase an obscure or cheap cryptocurrency at a low price. They then flood social media channels, such as Telegram, Twitter, or Reddit, with hype and false news, sometimes going so far as to create fake news websites or false endorsements by high-profile individuals. This propaganda creates a buying frenzy or “pump” which rapidly inflates the price of the coin.
2. Dump: Once the price has risen significantly, these fraudsters sell off their holdings at the artificially inflated price. This sudden sell-off causes the price to plummet, leaving the late investors – who bought in during the “pump” – with significant losses.

Examples of Pump and Dump Schemes

1. BitConnect: This now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange platform promised high returns to its users, using a lending platform that required investment in their native BCC token. After a few months, when the token’s price had skyrocketed due to the hype and influx of investors, the developers dumped their coins, leading to an almost instant collapse in value. BitConnect was eventually hit with a cease-and-desist order, being exposed as a Ponzi scheme.
2. Centra Tech: This was another cryptocurrency project that used celebrity endorsements and false claims about partnerships with Visa and Mastercard to pump the value of its tokens. Once the tokens’ value was sufficiently high, the owners sold their holdings, leading to a sudden price drop. The founders were eventually arrested and charged with securities and wire fraud.

Prevention is the best cure for pump-and-dump schemes. Potential investors should conduct extensive research before investing in any cryptocurrency project. A sudden surge in the price of a relatively unknown coin, particularly when it’s accompanied by a lot of hype but little substantive explanation, can be a strong sign of a pump-and-dump scheme. As always, if it sounds too good to be true, it likely is.

ICO Scams:

An Initial Coin Offering (ICO) is a way for cryptocurrency startups to raise funds by selling a portion of their tokens to early investors. In an ICO, you receive digital tokens in exchange for your investment, which you hope to sell at a higher price once the cryptocurrency project takes off.

However, not all ICOs are legitimate. Some are orchestrated by fraudsters who have no intention of developing the project they advertise. Instead, they aim to run away with the funds once they’ve raised enough from unsuspecting investors. This practice is known as an ICO scam.

Here’s how a typical ICO scam works:

1. Setup: Scammers set up a professional-looking website and produce an elaborate, but vague whitepaper that promises a revolutionary new technology.
2. Marketing: The scam ICO will be aggressively marketed to generate hype and lure potential investors. This marketing often includes false claims, such as partnerships with renowned companies, endorsements from industry experts, or exaggerated potential returns.
3. Token Sale: The ICO opens, and investors exchange their money (either fiat or cryptocurrency) for the new tokens. These tokens are often significantly overpriced.
4. The Scam: Once the fraudsters have raised a certain amount of money, they disappear, taking all the invested funds with them. The promised technology never materializes, and the tokens become worthless.

Examples of ICO Scams

• OneCoin: OneCoin was promoted as an investment opportunity and was claimed to be a new and superior kind of cryptocurrency. The project raised about $4.4 billion from investors worldwide through its ICO. However, it was later revealed to be a scam. The project had no blockchain or real technology behind it, and the founders were charged with conducting a fraudulent pyramid scheme.
• Pincoin and AriseBank: Both are examples of ICO scams that made headlines. Pincoin, run by Modern Tech, promised constant returns to investors. However, after raising $660 million from approximately 32,000 people, the team disappeared. AriseBank claimed to be the world’s first decentralized bank, with its ICO raising $4.2 million. However, it was ordered to halt operations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on the grounds of fraud and illegal business practices.

Investors can avoid ICO scams by conducting thorough research on the team behind the project, their business plan, the technology involved, and any partnerships or endorsements they claim to have. It’s also recommended to consult with a financial advisor or an individual well-versed in the cryptocurrency industry. Always remember that if a project’s promises seem too good to be true, they probably are.

Fake Exchanges:

As the name implies, fake exchange scams involve the creation of fraudulent cryptocurrency exchanges designed to steal money from unsuspecting users. These fake exchanges often mimic the design and functionality of legitimate exchanges to trick users into depositing funds.

Here’s how fake exchange scams typically work:

1. Creating a Fake Exchange: Scammers develop a website that mimics a legitimate cryptocurrency exchange. They incorporate functionalities that make it seem like real trading is happening on the platform.
2. Promotion: The fake exchange is then promoted online through ads, social media, or even search engine marketing.
3. Depositing Funds: Users who are tricked into believing the exchange is legitimate will deposit funds into their accounts to begin trading.
4. Stealing Funds: Once a user deposits funds into the fake exchange, scammers can then steal those funds. Users might find that they’re unable to withdraw their funds, or the exchange might disappear entirely.

Examples of Fake Exchange Scams

• BitKRX: In 2017, South Korean authorities exposed a fake exchange known as BitKRX. The scammers behind this exchange posed as a legitimate branch of Korea Exchange (KRX), a well-known securities exchange platform, to lure people into depositing their funds.
• Bitcard: This was a fake cryptocurrency exchange that scammed users by promising significant returns on their investments. After users deposited funds into the Bitcard platform, they were unable to withdraw their funds, and the platform soon disappeared.
• Centra Tech: The founders of Centra Tech created a fake exchange and offered a fraudulent ICO. They were able to raise $25 million before being arrested and charged with fraud.

To avoid falling victim to fake exchange scams, it’s important to conduct thorough research before depositing funds into any exchange. Look for reviews and recommendations from trusted sources, and double-check the exchange’s URL and security certificate. As a rule of thumb, be cautious with exchanges that offer too-good-to-be-true offers, have low trading volumes, or lack a strong reputation in the crypto community.

Phishing Scams:

Phishing is a method used by scammers to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by pretending to be a trustworthy entity. In the world of cryptocurrencies, phishing scams are usually aimed at accessing your wallet or exchange account.

Here’s how phishing scams typically work:

1. Creating a Phishing Website or Email: Scammers create a website or email that mimics a legitimate cryptocurrency exchange, wallet, or other service. This could include using the same design, similar URLs, and even security certificates to appear genuine.
2. Luring the Victim: The victim is then lured to the phishing site. This could be through a link in an email, a private message, a pop-up ad, or even a sponsored ad on a search engine.
3. Capturing Information: The phishing site or email prompts the victim to enter their login details, private keys, or other sensitive information. This information is then sent to the scammer.
4. Stealing Cryptocurrency: With the acquired sensitive data, scammers can access the victim’s real wallet or exchange account and transfer the cryptocurrencies to their own wallets.

Examples of Phishing Scams

• MyEtherWallet Phishing Attack: In 2018, a phishing attack was launched against MyEtherWallet users. The attackers used a method called DNS hijacking to direct users to a malicious version of the MyEtherWallet website, where users’ private keys were captured, leading to the loss of about $365,000 worth of Ether.
• Electrum Phishing Attack: In 2019, users of the Electrum Bitcoin wallet were directed to a phishing website through a fake update prompt in the wallet software. The website tricked users into downloading malware that emptied their wallets, resulting in the loss of approximately $900,000 worth of Bitcoin.
• Binance Phishing Website: In 2018, a well-crafted phishing website mimicked the Binance exchange. The website URL used a unicode character that looked identical to the English letter “n”, thus misleading users into thinking they were on the real Binance site.

To protect against phishing scams, always double-check the URL of the website you’re visiting to ensure it’s the correct address. Be wary of unsolicited communications asking for your login details or private keys.

Also, consider installing anti-phishing browser extensions, and make sure your antivirus software is up to date. Regularly update your wallet software, but only through official or verified sources.

With the growing popularity of social media platforms, they have become a hotbed for cryptocurrency scams. Scammers use various techniques to trick people into sending them cryptocurrencies or revealing sensitive account information.

Here’s how social media scams typically work:

1. Impersonation: Scammers create social media accounts that mimic the profiles of well-known personalities or cryptocurrency platforms. These accounts may look identical to the real ones, using the same profile pictures, names, and similar usernames.
2. Fake Giveaways: Scammers post offers or giveaways promising to double the cryptocurrency sent to a specific wallet address. They often ask users to send a small amount of cryptocurrency, promising to send back a larger amount.
3. Phishing: Scammers may send private messages or comments posing as support staff for a crypto exchange or wallet. They trick users into revealing sensitive information like passwords, private keys, or recovery phrases.

Examples of Social Media Scams

• Twitter Bitcoin Scam 2020: In July 2020, a large-scale scam occurred on Twitter where several high-profile accounts including those of Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and Barack Obama were hacked. The accounts posted a message promising to double the amount of Bitcoin sent to a specific wallet address.
• Fake Elon Musk Giveaways: Elon Musk is frequently targeted in social media scams due to his association with cryptocurrencies. Scammers impersonate his account and announce fake giveaways, tricking users into sending their cryptocurrencies.
• Telegram Scams: Telegram is rife with crypto scams. Scammers often impersonate popular crypto figures or exchanges, and then ask users for funds or sensitive account information.

To avoid social media scams, remember that legitimate companies or figures rarely, if ever, ask for cryptocurrencies in giveaways or request sensitive account details over social media. Always verify the information from multiple sources and never share your private keys, recovery phrases, or passwords. Be skeptical of offers that seem too good to be true.

Pyramid and Ponzi Schemes:

Cryptocurrency markets, like many investment spheres, are not immune to the perils of pyramid and Ponzi schemes. Both of these scams involve paying returns to earlier investors with the funds contributed by newer investors, instead of actual profits from an investment activity.

Here’s how they typically work:

1. Recruitment of Initial Investors: Scammers promise high returns to lure initial investors. These returns are often disproportionately high compared to the risk associated with the investment.
2. Paying Early Returns: To build credibility and attract more investors, scammers pay out the promised returns to the initial investors. However, these payouts are not actual profits, but simply the capital contributed by other investors.
3. Expanding the Pyramid: In pyramid schemes, investors are often encouraged or required to recruit more participants to increase their profits. This creates a pyramid-like structure where each level of investors recruits the next level.
4. Collapse: Eventually, when there are not enough new investments to pay out the promised returns, the scheme collapses. The scammers usually disappear with the remaining funds, leaving most investors at a loss.

Examples of Pyramid and Ponzi Schemes

• BitConnect: BitConnect was a high-yield cryptocurrency investment Ponzi scheme that collapsed in 2018. It offered a return of up to 40% per month and additional returns for referrals. When authorities began scrutinizing it, BitConnect abruptly shut down its lending and exchange platform, causing the price of its BCC token to plummet and leaving many investors with significant losses.
• OneCoin: OneCoin was a notorious example of a pyramid scheme. The company promised big returns and encouraged members to sell educational material and courses, which were a ruse to recruit more members into the scheme. It was found that OneCoin had no real blockchain or value and was purely a scam.
• PlusToken: PlusToken was a Chinese cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme that posed as a cryptocurrency wallet. PlusToken pulled an exit scam in 2019, walking away with more than $2 billion from up to 800,000 investors.

To avoid falling prey to pyramid or Ponzi schemes, be skeptical of any investment opportunity that promises unusually high returns with little to no risk or requires you to recruit new participants to increase your return. Always perform due diligence and consult a financial advisor before making an investment.

Malware Scams:

Malware, or malicious software, poses a significant risk to cryptocurrency users. In the context of cryptocurrencies, malware is typically designed to gain unauthorized access to a user’s wallet or to manipulate transactions.

Here’s how malware scams typically work:

1. Creating and Spreading Malware: Scammers design software that can spy on a victim’s device, capture keystrokes, or even directly steal cryptocurrencies. This malware is then spread through email attachments, compromised apps, malicious advertisements, or infected websites.
2. Infection: Once a user’s device is infected, the malware can perform a variety of actions. Some forms of malware record keystrokes to capture wallet passwords. Others replace wallet addresses copied to a device’s clipboard with the scammer’s address, causing users to inadvertently send cryptocurrencies to the wrong address.
3. Stealing Cryptocurrencies: The malware either sends the captured information (like passwords) back to the scammer, or it directly transfers cryptocurrencies from the victim’s wallet to the scammer’s.

Examples of Malware Scams

• CryptoLocker: One of the earliest examples of crypto-related malware, CryptoLocker was a type of ransomware that encrypted files on a victim’s computer and demanded a ransom (paid in Bitcoin) to decrypt them.
• Coinbitclip: This malware replaced Bitcoin addresses copied to a device’s clipboard with addresses controlled by the scammer. As a result, users inadvertently sent Bitcoin to the scammer when they thought they were sending them to a legitimate address.
• CryptoShuffler: Similar to Coinbitclip, CryptoShuffler malware replaced the wallet addresses that users copied onto their clipboard with the attacker’s wallet address. This malware reportedly stole over $150,000 worth of cryptocurrencies.

To protect against malware scams, always keep your device’s operating system and antivirus software up to date, be cautious of emails from unknown sources, and only download apps or software from trusted sources. Additionally, consider using a hardware wallet for storing cryptocurrencies, as they provide an extra layer of security. Never share your private keys and always double-check wallet addresses before sending cryptocurrencies.

Cloud Mining Scams:

Cloud mining involves renting the computing power of a mining rig located elsewhere. It’s an attractive option for those who want to mine cryptocurrency but don’t want the hassle or expense of buying or maintaining their own mining hardware. Unfortunately, it’s also an area rife with scams.

Here’s how fake cloud mining scams typically work:

1. Setting Up the Scam: Scammers set up a website offering cloud mining services. They promise high returns and low fees and may even show ‘live’ data of mining operations to appear legitimate.
2. Attracting Victims: The service is promoted on social media, cryptocurrency forums, and other platforms. The scammers lure potential victims with promises of high returns and testimonials from ‘satisfied customers’.
3. Taking the Money: Victims sign up for the service and pay the fee to start mining. However, instead of mining real cryptocurrencies, the scammers simply pocket the money.
4. Maintaining the Illusion: To maintain the illusion of legitimacy, the scammers may pay out initial profits to early investors. However, these ‘profits’ are usually just a portion of the money taken from newer victims.
5. The Scam Ends: Eventually, when new victims stop coming in, the scammers close down the service and disappear with all the money.

Examples of Fake Cloud Mining Scams

• HashInvest: This was a fake cloud mining service that lured victims with promises of high returns and no maintenance fees. After taking the victims’ money, the service suddenly closed down, and the operators disappeared with the funds.
• MiningMax: This cloud mining scam promised daily returns on investment. It was able to operate for several months and purportedly scammed investors out of $250 million before the operators were arrested.
• Bitconnect Mining: Apart from being a Ponzi scheme, Bitconnect also offered a cloud mining service that was nothing more than a scam. They promised a high return on investment, which they claimed was possible due to their innovative trading bot and volatility software. Eventually, the scheme collapsed and the operators disappeared.

To avoid falling victim to cloud mining scams, it’s important to remember that if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Always do your own research before investing, check for reviews from independent sources, and be wary of services promising unusually high returns.

As a rule of thumb, legitimate cloud mining operations tend to have slim profit margins, so any service promising large profits with little to no risk should be viewed with suspicion.

Fake Wallet Scams:

In the world of cryptocurrencies, wallets are used to store digital assets. While there are many reliable and secure wallet options available, scammers also create fake wallets to steal funds from unsuspecting victims.

Here’s how fake wallet scams typically work:

1. Creating a Fake Wallet: Scammers create an app or a website that mimics a genuine crypto wallet. The interface is designed to look and function like a real wallet, but in reality, it’s controlled by the scammer.
2. Promotion: The fake wallet is then promoted through various means such as targeted ads, social media posts, or even appearing on app stores with high ratings and reviews (often fake).
3. Stealing Funds: When a user installs the fake wallet and deposits their cryptocurrencies, the scammer can now access and transfer the funds to their own account.

Examples of Fake Wallet Scams

• Fake MetaMask App: MetaMask, a popular Ethereum wallet, has been a frequent target of fake wallet scams. In one instance, a fake MetaMask app was available on the Google Play Store and was designed to steal cryptocurrency by collecting the user’s private key and wallet password.
• Fake Trezor Wallet App: Trezor, a well-known hardware wallet, had a counterfeit version of their app appear on the iOS App Store. The app tricked users into providing their recovery seeds, which allowed the scammers to steal the users’ cryptocurrency.
• Fake Electrum Wallets: Electrum, a Bitcoin wallet, has also had issues with fake wallets. There have been instances of phishing attacks where users were tricked into downloading a malicious update to their Electrum wallet software from a fake website. The update, in fact, was malware designed to steal their Bitcoin.

To avoid falling victim to fake wallet scams, always download wallet software from trusted sources, such as the official website of the wallet provider. Be wary of wallet apps on app stores that have few reviews or were recently uploaded.

Furthermore, it’s always a good idea to enable two-factor authentication, if available, and to keep your recovery seed offline and secure. As with all things in the crypto world, thorough research and a healthy dose of skepticism can go a long way in protecting your digital assets.

Fraudulent Coins:

In the vast landscape of cryptocurrencies, there are thousands of different coins. While many of these are legitimate projects with unique technologies or purposes, others are nothing more than fraudulent coins created to scam unsuspecting investors.

Here’s how fraudulent coin scams typically work:

1. Creation of the Coin: Scammers create a new cryptocurrency, often using blockchain templates to quickly and cheaply produce a new coin.
2. Marketing and Hype: The scammers then start a marketing campaign to hype their new coin, often making outlandish promises about its potential value or the innovative technology it supposedly uses. They may also employ tactics such as fake endorsements from celebrities or other well-known figures in the crypto world.
3. The Pump: As hype around the coin grows, new investors start buying, driving up its price. This is often referred to as a ‘pump’.
4. The Dump: Once the coin hits a certain price or enough money has been invested, the scammers sell all their shares of the coin, which causes its value to plummet. This is known as a ‘dump’. The scammers walk away with their profits, while everyone else is left with worthless coins.

Examples of Fraudulent Coin Scams

• Centra Tech: The founders of Centra Tech managed to raise over $25 million for their CTR token through an ICO, using celebrity endorsements from the likes of Floyd Mayweather and DJ Khaled. However, the project was a scam and the founders were eventually arrested and charged with fraud. The token was delisted from most exchanges and became worthless.
• Pincoin and AriseBank: These are two examples of fraudulent coins where the founders ran off with the money raised in the ICO, leaving investors with worthless tokens. Pincoin scammed $660 million from approximately 32,000 people before disappearing, while AriseBank’s $600 million ICO was halted by the SEC, and the founders were arrested.
• Pump and Dump Schemes: These are prevalent in less-regulated and lower-liquidity cryptocurrency markets. Scammers coordinate to artificially inflate the price of a low-market-cap coin, often using social media to generate hype, and then sell off their holdings once the price peaks. An example of such a scam is the infamous “Wolong” pump and dump in the Dogecoin community in 2014.

Investors can protect themselves from fraudulent coin scams by conducting thorough research into any coin before investing. It’s crucial to understand what the coin does, who is behind it, and whether it has any real-world applications. Also, be cautious of coins that promise high returns with no risk, and always keep in mind that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Chain Referral Scams:

Chain referral scams, also known as pyramid schemes, are fairly common in the world of cryptocurrencies. These scams take advantage of the decentralization and privacy of cryptocurrencies to lure victims with the promise of high returns in exchange for recruiting more participants.

Here’s how chain referral scams typically work:

1. Joining the Scheme: Scammers initiate the scheme by inviting potential victims to invest in a cryptocurrency, promising high returns. The only requirement is that they recruit more people into the scheme.
2. Recruitment: Each participant must recruit more people, forming a pyramid-like structure. The new recruits also have to invest and recruit others, and a portion of their investment is used to provide returns to the earlier participants.
3. Collapse: As the scheme grows, it becomes harder to find new recruits. When the inflow of new investors slows down or stops, the scammers can no longer pay the promised returns to the participants, causing the scheme to collapse. Typically, the scammers disappear with the funds, leaving the majority of participants at a loss.

Examples of Chain Referral Scams

• BitConnect: One of the most notorious examples of a chain referral scam is BitConnect. They promised a return of up to 40% per month and additional returns for referrals. As it turned out, the company was operating a Ponzi scheme. When authorities began scrutinizing it, BitConnect abruptly shut down its lending and exchange platform, causing the price of its BCC token to plummet and leaving many investors with significant losses.
• OneCoin: Although also an example of an ICO scam, OneCoin also operated as a chain referral scam. Participants were incentivized to recruit new investors in return for tokens and higher “rankings.” The project was eventually revealed to be a scam, with no actual blockchain or cryptocurrency in existence.
• PlusToken: PlusToken was a Chinese cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme that posed as a cryptocurrency wallet. PlusToken pulled an exit scam in 2019, walking away with more than $2 billion from up to 800,000 investors.

To avoid chain referral scams, be skeptical of any investment that requires the recruitment of new participants to realize returns. Also, remember that if returns sound too good to be true, they likely are. Always perform due diligence and consult a financial advisor before making an investment.

Unregulated Broker Scams:

Unregulated broker scams involve fraudulent brokerage firms that aren’t overseen by any financial regulatory body. Such brokers may manipulate trading platforms, deny withdrawals, create artificial price movements, or even disappear with clients’ funds, as there’s no regulatory authority to hold them accountable.

Here’s how unregulated broker scams typically work:

1. Baiting the Investor: The scam starts with an attractive advertisement promising high returns and low risk. This can appear on social media platforms, emails, or even as a cold call.
2. Account Creation: The victim creates an account on the broker’s platform and deposits funds. Often, the broker’s website or platform appears legitimate and professionally designed to gain the user’s trust.
3. Manipulation and Losses: Once the user starts trading, the unregulated broker manipulates trades and results, leading the victim to incur losses.
4. Withdrawal Issues: When the user tries to withdraw funds, the broker makes it nearly impossible. This can involve endless paperwork, hefty withdrawal fees, or simply ignoring withdrawal requests.

Examples of Unregulated Broker Scams

• Binary Options Scams: Binary options trading has been a significant area for unregulated broker scams. Companies like BinaryBook and BigOption, for instance, have been alleged to be part of a multi-million-dollar scam where they manipulated trading data and refused to process withdrawal requests, leading to substantial losses for their clients.
• Forex Scams: Unregulated Forex brokers often lure in clients with promises of high returns. One example was Secure Investment, which promised a daily return of 1% on forex trades and managed to attract more than $1 billion from investors worldwide. However, the company was a complete fraud, and the investors lost all their money when the website was suddenly taken offline.
• Crypto Brokers: Cryptocurrency markets have also seen a fair share of unregulated broker scams. One such case involved a company named Bitcard, which promised high returns on Bitcoin investments. However, the company was unregulated and eventually disappeared with investors’ money.

Crypto investors can protect themselves from unregulated broker scams by conducting thorough due diligence. Always check whether a broker is regulated by an appropriate financial authority, and avoid companies promising guaranteed or unusually high returns. Online reviews and complaint boards can also provide valuable insights into a broker’s credibility.

Cryptojacking:

Cryptojacking is a type of cybercrime where a hacker secretly uses a victim’s computing power to mine cryptocurrency. It’s often done through malicious software or scripts embedded in websites or emails. The primary sign of cryptojacking is a substantial decrease in the performance of your device, increased electricity usage, and your device overheating.

Here’s how cryptojacking works:

1. Infection: The first step is for the attacker to get their cryptojacking script onto a device. This can be done by tricking the user into clicking a malicious link in an email or directly embedding the script into a website or an ad that appears on multiple websites.
2. Mining: Once the script is on a device, it runs in the background without the user’s knowledge. It uses the device’s resources to mine cryptocurrency, typically Monero due to its anonymity and lower computational power requirements compared to Bitcoin or Ethereum.
3. Profit: The mined cryptocurrency is sent to the attacker’s wallet. The victim often remains unaware that their resources are being used for this purpose.

Examples of Cryptojacking

• Coinhive: One of the most well-known examples of cryptojacking involved Coinhive, a service that offered a JavaScript miner for the Monero Blockchain. While Coinhive wasn’t inherently malicious, it was widely used by hackers who embedded it in websites without the site owners’ or visitors’ knowledge or consent, effectively turning it into a tool for widespread cryptojacking.
• Smominru Botnet: This botnet infected over half a million machines, using them to mine Monero. At its peak, it was estimated that the botnet was responsible for mining as much as $8,500 worth of Monero every day.
• WannaMine: This cryptojacking malware used the EternalBlue exploit (also used by the WannaCry ransomware) to infect Windows computers and mine Monero. It was particularly dangerous because it didn’t require a user to click on anything to get infected.

Protecting yourself from cryptojacking involves keeping your software and devices updated, using robust security solutions, avoiding suspicious emails or websites, and implementing browser extensions that prevent cryptojacking scripts from running. If your device seems to be underperforming or your electricity usage spikes inexplicably, it could be worth checking for signs of cryptojacking.

DeFi Scams:

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) has emerged as one of the fastest-growing sectors in the cryptocurrency space, aiming to replace centralized financial systems with decentralized protocols. While the promise of financial inclusivity and high returns has attracted significant interest, it has also opened doors for malicious actors to carry out scams.

Typical DeFi scams can include:

1. Rug Pulls: This is where developers abandon a project after raising funds, often through a liquidity pool. The developers “pull the rug” by withdrawing everything at once, causing the token price to collapse and leaving other participants with worthless tokens.
2. Fake DeFi Projects: Scammers set up fraudulent DeFi projects with sleek websites and promising returns to attract investors. They usually hold an Initial Liquidity Offering (ILO) or similar event and then disappear with the funds.
3. Impermanent Loss Exploitation: In DeFi liquidity pools, there’s a risk of impermanent loss, which can occur when the price of your deposited tokens changes compared to when you deposited them. Scammers can exploit this mechanism by manipulating token prices, causing losses for liquidity providers.

Examples of DeFi Scams

1. Yam Finance: While not a scam in the traditional sense, it serves as a cautionary tale. Yam Finance was a DeFi project launched in August 2020 that attracted over $500 million in crypto assets in just a couple of days due to the hype. However, a bug in its smart contract code rendered governance impossible, and the project collapsed, leading to a drastic drop in the value of the Yam token.
2. Emerald Mine (EMD): This project promised high returns through a staking platform. Users were encouraged to buy EMD tokens and stake them on the platform to earn rewards. However, once the project had attracted a substantial amount of investment, the website was shut down, and the developers disappeared with the funds.
3. UniCats: A DeFi project called UniCats exploited the concept of impermanent loss. Users who staked their tokens for liquidity provision were later unable to withdraw the full amount as the platform had executed a hidden function in their smart contract to drain them.

Protecting yourself from DeFi scams involves thorough research. Before getting involved with a project, ensure you understand how it works. Investigate the team behind it, check for audits of their protocol, look for transparent communication channels, and always be skeptical of projects promising unusually high returns. It’s also recommended to use DeFi platforms with insurance against smart contract failure and to monitor the health of your investments regularly.

NFT Scams:

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) have become the latest trend in the crypto space, representing digital ownership of unique items or pieces of content. While the boom in NFTs has created new opportunities for artists and collectors, it has also attracted scammers looking to take advantage of this new market.

Here’s how typical NFT scams work:

1. Counterfeit NFTs: Scammers create fake NFT listings that mimic high-value NFTs. Unsuspecting buyers purchase these thinking they’re getting a valuable NFT, but in reality, they’re buying a worthless copy. These scams typically occur on NFT marketplaces where anyone can list their creations for sale.
2. Fake NFT Auctions: Scammers may set up bogus auctions for high-value NFTs. They trick people into sending them money, but there’s no NFT to exchange.
3. NFT Rug Pulls: In this type of scam, artists create and sell NFTs, usually hyping them up through social media or other platforms. Once the NFTs are sold and the artist has made a substantial profit, they disappear and remove their digital artworks from the internet. The buyers are then left with NFTs that are essentially worthless.

Examples of NFT Scams

1. “Bored Ape Yacht Club” Scam: This prominent NFT collection has seen several scam attempts. In one instance, scammers created counterfeit Bored Ape NFTs and listed them for sale on OpenSea, a popular NFT marketplace. The counterfeits closely resembled the originals, leading some collectors to mistakenly purchase these worthless copies.
2. “Eminence” Rug Pull: In 2020, an anonymous group launched the Eminence project, hyping it up with a website and Twitter account. They then released a series of NFTs and managed to raise $15 million. However, soon after the sale, they disappeared with the funds, leaving the investors with worthless NFTs.
3. “NFTs for Disaster Relief” Scam: In another instance, scammers capitalized on a natural disaster by claiming to sell NFTs to raise funds for relief efforts. The scammers ran away with the proceeds, and no funds went to the promised cause.

Avoiding NFT scams involves conducting thorough research before any purchase. Ensure that you’re buying from a reputable source, verify the identity of the artist or seller, and check the transaction history of the NFT. As with other crypto-related investments, if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. It’s also recommended to keep abreast of common scams in the NFT space, as the methods scammers use continually evolve.

Conclusion:

Cryptocurrency, while providing immense opportunities, is a landscape that requires careful navigation due to the prevalence of scams. Remember, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

As always do your own research and never invest more than you can afford to lose. In this space it’s very important to do your due diligence before making any investment. Stay informed, stay vigilant, and stay safe in your cryptocurrency journey!