OPS Operations · Updated April 2026 · ~5 min · For TradingView desktop 3.2.1
Spotting Crypto Scams: Fake Airdrops, Phishing, Pig-Butchering, Fake Support
In crypto, transfers are irreversible and there's no customer-service refund, so scammers are especially rampant. Recognizing the playbook is your last line of defense.
Common scams
- Wallet-approval phishing: a fake site lures you to "connect wallet / sign," actually stealing a token approval, then drains your coins. Refuse any signature you don't understand;
- Fake airdrops / fake tokens: tokens appearing in your wallet from nowhere — interacting gets you hit; don't touch unknown airdrops;
- Pig-butchering / guaranteed returns: pulled into an "inside group," "signal mentor," "sure-win project"; small early gains lure you to add, then one harvest;
- Fake support / fake apps: impersonating exchange support to "unfreeze/recover," or luring you to install a repackaged app that steals your seed phrase.
Three iron rules
- There's no sure win — anything promising principal-protected high returns is a scam;
- Don't sign approvals you don't understand, don't click unknown links, don't install repackaged apps;
- Regularly check and revoke token approvals you no longer use.
Tip: official channels never DM you, never ask for your seed phrase, never make you "transfer first to verify." For asset tiering see wallet tiering; for mindset see trading psychology — greed is the easiest entry point to exploit.