Abstract: If you are interested in investing in crypto or you have digital assets already, you'll want to know how the most common types of crypto scams work, and how to spot them.
Cryptocurrency fraud
If you are interested in investing in crypto or you have digital assets already, you'll want to know how the most common types of crypto scams work, and how to spot them.
Crypto scams to watch out for
Scammers are incredibly creative when it comes to luring you into a trap or getting you to share your personal information. For that reason, many crypto scams involve some type of impersonation, along with a selection of carefully crafted lies that are often tailored based on the victim they're targeting. The most common types of crypto scams perpetrated right now include the following:
Blackmail and extortion scams
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says some scammers will claim they have embarrassing personal information, including your own photos or videos, to lure you into a trap. They will typically threaten to make the information public but with the promise of keeping your information private if you do what they want. Their demands always seem the same — you can make the problem disappear if you send them a crypto transfer immediately.
According to the FTC, you should report blackmail and extortion scams to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) immediately. Also, don't send the thief any money, and don't communicate with them at all.
“Business opportunity” scams
This scam can play out in a number of ways, but it typically takes place when someone contacts you with a business opportunity with the promise of helping you grow rich. In some cases, scammers get you to fork over your crypto by telling you they can provide you with exceptional returns, even doubling or tripling your crypto assets overnight.
Either way, you should know that there's no such thing as “guaranteed returns,” and that's especially true when it comes to digital assets. If someone contacts you and says they can work wonders with your crypto and make you wealthy in a hurry, don't reply.
Fake job listing scams
In other scenarios, thieves will create fake job listings or send unsolicited job offers in order to lure new victims to their scheme. The “jobs” they're hiring for are often in the crypto field, including things like crypto mining and recruiting other crypto investors.
Either way, these jobs all have one thing in common — you have to make a payment in crypto to get started. The scam can take on many forms from there. The scammer might convince you to make additional payments, or they'll make a deposit in your bank account and ask you to send them cash only for their original deposit to fail.
Giveaway scams
This type of scam promises you free money or another type of prize if you fall in line with whatever they want you to do. Many scammers pose as celebrities or influencers in order to lure in new victims who don't know better, and it can be hard to determine what's actually real.
As an example, crypto scammers constantly try to impersonate Elon Musk over social media and video in order to get people to send in digital assets.
Impersonation scams
The giveaway scam example we outlined above is also an impersonation scam, but there are many other impersonation scams to be aware of. For example, crypto thieves will say they're from the government or law enforcement in order to gain some credibility. From there, they'll convince you your accounts or assets are frozen as part of an investigation, and that you can pay them in crypto to resolve the issue.
Other times, they'll say they're from a large company like Amazon, Microsoft, FedEx, or even your bank in order to convince you of some other storyline. In the end, though, the goal is getting your crypto no matter which lies they use.
Investment scams
The FTC says that, in this scam, an “investment manager” you have never heard of reaches out to you with an incredible investment opportunity. Of course, the process starts with sending crypto to their online account or downloading an app that will help them get rich, and you need to do it in a hurry.
In many cases, these scammers will have legitimate-looking websites that use complicated investing jargon to seem real. If you log into your account with the platform, however, you may be blocked from withdrawing your money or only able to access your cash if you pay an exorbitant fee.
Phishing scams
A phishing scam takes place when someone pretends to be someone else, usually a company, in order to get you to willingly share private information. Many crypto phishing scams aim to get you to share your private crypto wallet keys, usually by sending an official-looking email that asks you to log in to your account.
Pump and dump schemes
This scam takes place when a group of people get together to entice others into investing in a particular coin, usually by posting on social media to build up hype. From there, scammers work together to drive up the price of the asset until they all simultaneously cash out and leave all the new and excited investors holding the bag.
Romance scams
Finally, remember that romance scams are alive and well in the world of cryptocurrency. With this type of scam, someone pretends to become your love interest online, usually by weaving an intricate web of lies about themselves. These scammers can spend months getting you to build up romantic feelings for them, at which point they ask for crypto payments or lure you into investing crypto with them so you can spend your lives together.
what to do if scammed online
How to identify credit card fraud
Credit card fraud is the most common type of identity theft. With an estimated 1.5 billion credit cards in the U.S. alone, its no surprise that millions of people fall victim every year.
The most effective way to protect yourself from credit card fraud is by taking preventative measures wherever possible.
Keep your credit card secure and only enter your card details in reputable online stores. Never share them with sources you cant verify over the phone.
But even if you take all the necessary steps to avoid becoming a target of fraud, remain vigilant by regularly checking for any suspicious activity. You can detect fraud by:
Reviewing monthly credit card statements in detail to identify any unauthorized transactions.
Regularly check your credit report to see if anything appears unfamiliar, such as new credit searches and inquiries, the opening of new accounts, or the registration of unknown addresses.
Reviewing bills and invoices to ensure you are not receiving correspondence and collection notices for unfamiliar accounts. You can also use your credit report to check if you are on any collection agencies lists, as most report debts to credit bureaus.
Many credit card companies offer additional protection in the form of identity theft monitoring services. These services alert you to any changes in your credit report, suspicious activity on your credit account, or instances of your stolen information appearing on the internet.
What to do if you become a victim of credit card fraud
Contact the credit card company right away
Make the call as soon as you notice anything suspicious or you realize that your card has been lost or stolen. Your credit card provider will then launch an investigation to verify the fraudulent activity and remove any unauthorized transactions.
Compromised cards will be canceled to halt criminal activity, and you will be issued a new card and account number to reinstate secure access to your account and funds.
Update your security details
Change any PINs, online passwords, or security information that you believe may have become compromised.
Get in touch with a credit bureau
Contact one of the major credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion — to set up a security alert on your credit report. Other bureaus will be made aware of the alert and you will receive a copy of your report.
Check your bank statement
Check through your monthly statements regularly and notify the bank if you see any unfamiliar transactions.
If theres an unknown payment from your account
Contact your bank immediately if:
there‘s a payment from your bank account you don’t recognize – this is known as an 'unauthorized transaction'
youve used your debit card and more money was taken than you expected
Explain what‘s happened and ask if you can get a refund. If you’re not happy with how the bank deals with your claim, you can complain to them. Find out how to do this by checking their website.
If it's been 8 weeks since you complained, and you haven't got your money back, contact the Financial Ombudsman. You can also contact the ombudsman if you've had a letter from the bank saying it's not going to take any action. This is sometimes known as a final response letter.
If the ombudsman decides you've been treated unfairly, it's got legal powers to put things right.
If you paid by card or PayPal
If you've paid for something you haven't received, you might be able to get your money back.
Your card provider can ask the seller's bank to refund the money. This is known as the 'chargeback scheme'.
If you paid by debit card, you can use chargeback however much you paid.
If you paid by credit card and the item cost more than £100 but less than £30,000, you might be able to claim under the Consumer Credit Act - this is known as a 'Section 75 claim'.
If the item costs less than £100 and you paid by credit card, you can't use Section 75, but you can use chargeback.
See our advice on getting your money back if you paid by card or PayPal.
If you paid by bank transfer or Direct Debit
Contact your bank or building society immediately to let them know whats happened and ask if you can get a refund.
If youve transferred money to someone because of a scam
This type of scam is known as an ‘authorized push payment’.
Your bank or building society should reimburse you if its registered with the Lending Standards Board under their Contingent Reimbursement Model Code (CRM Code).
You can check if your bank is registered under the CRM code on the Lending Standards Board website.
If you've paid by Direct Debit
You should be able to get a full refund under the Direct Debit Guarantee.
You can find out about the Direct Debit Guarantee on the Direct Debit website.
If you cant get your money back and you think this is unfair
You should follow the bank‘s official complaints process. If your complaint isn’t sorted out in 8 weeks, or you get a final response letter, you can take your case to the Financial Ombudsman.
If you used a money transfer service
It‘s unlikely you’ll be able to get your money back if youve paid through a wire service such as MoneyGram, PayPoint, or Western Union.
Even if you cant get your money back, there are other things you can do – like reporting the scam and getting financial or emotional support.
There are things you can do to protect yourself if you ever need to use a money transfer service again.
1.Dont pay any more money
2.Collect all the pertinent information and documents
While the events are still fresh in your memory, develop a timeline and collect documents and information that could help when it comes time to report or investigate the fraud. Write down conversations you had with the fraudsters with the approximate dates and times they took place.
3.Protect your identity and accounts
If you gave payment information to the fraudsters, could you take the steps necessary to block access to your accounts and protect against identity theft?
4.Report fraud to authorities
5.Check your insurance coverage and other financial recovery steps
6.Consider changing behaviors and building your resistance to fraud.
scam person
Yes, cryptocurrency is real. Cryptocurrency refers to digital or virtual currencies that use cryptography for security and operate on decentralized networks based on blockchain technology. Bitcoin, created by an anonymous person or group of people using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, was the first cryptocurrency and remains the most well-known and widely used.
Since the creation of Bitcoin in 2009, thousands of other cryptocurrencies have been developed, each with its own unique features and purposes. These digital currencies can be used for various purposes, including peer-to-peer transactions, investing, remittances, and decentralized finance (DeFi) applications.
Cryptocurrencies have gained significant attention and adoption in recent years, with increasing acceptance from both individuals and institutions. While there are risks associated with cryptocurrencies, including price volatility, regulatory uncertainty, and security vulnerabilities, the underlying technology and use cases are real and continue to evolve.
Prices plummeted in the spring of 2022 as some of the most prominent cryptocurrency companies were exposed as fraudulent. People who had invested their savings in cryptocurrencies lost everything. The slide peaked in November 2022, when the FTX cryptocurrency exchange founded by Sam Bankman-Fried collapsed after what amounted to a bank run, costing customers $8 billion.
If you think it's a scam
Don't click on links, open any attachments, or reply to requests. The scam message may try to trick you into giving out your personal information. Scammers may ask for your bank account details, passwords, or credit card numbers. They may also ask you to download files, and software or allow remote access to your computer.
Contact your bank. If you think your credit card or bank account may be at risk, contact your financial institution. They may be able to close your account or stop transactions.
legitimate crypto recovery companies
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crypto going up
Cryptocurrency proponents insist that Bitcoin's surge is just the beginning. They predict that months of significant gains could push the price of the cryptocurrency past $100,000 dollars.
Even if they're right, that doesn't necessarily mean the broader industry will thrive. Federal regulators have more or less accepted the fact that people are trading Bitcoin in the United States. But they have been hostile to other digital currencies and the platforms that offer them.
The SEC has filed lawsuits against Coinbase, the largest exchange in the U.S., and several other large companies. The outcome of these cases is still in court and could determine whether cryptocurrencies can continue to grow in the United States.
Recovering bitcoins typically depends on the reason for the loss or inaccessibility of cryptocurrency. Here are common scenarios and steps to recover bitcoins:
Lost Wallet Password or Seed Phrase:
If you've lost the password to your cryptocurrency wallet or the seed phrase (recovery phrase), the first step is to try any possible combinations or variations you might have used.
Some wallets have a password recovery feature or a way to reset the password using your seed phrase. Check if your wallet provider offers this option.
If you cannot recover the password or seed phrase, some wallet providers or recovery services may offer assistance, though this may come with a fee.
Corrupted Wallet File or Software Issue:
If your wallet file is corrupted or you're experiencing issues with the wallet software, try reinstalling the wallet software or restoring it from a backup.
Many wallets allow you to create backups of your wallet data. If you have a backup, you can restore your wallet using that backup file.
Contact the customer support of your wallet provider for assistance if you're unable to resolve the issue on your own.
Lost or Stolen Device:
If your bitcoins are stored on a device that has been lost or stolen, your options may be limited.
If you have a backup of your wallet or your private keys stored securely elsewhere, you can use that backup to regain access to your bitcoins.
Contact law enforcement if your device was stolen, and report the incident to the relevant authorities. While they may not be able to recover your bitcoins directly, they can assist in investigating the theft.
Seed phrases are generated automatically by your wallet when you set one up, so you cant customize yours or change it later. These phrases are usually a list of 12 to 24 words from the dictionary, such as “blanket,” “curious” and “dragon.”
Using a group of words instead of an extended code of numbers and letters makes it easier to write down and enter correctly without errors. Here is an example of a 12-word seed phrase: timber, sword, where, noodle, joy, eagle, admit, tuna, vibrant, museum, gossip, river.
The standard method for seed phrases is called BIP-39 —short for Bitcoin improvement proposal-39. BIP-39 was introduced in 2013 with a list of 2,048 words that could be in seed phrases. With this number of words, there are 2,048 to the power of 12 (more than a decillion) possible seed phrase combinations, which is such a large number that the odds of someone guessing your phrase are almost zero.
Is Bitcoin mining legit?
Yes, Bitcoin mining is legitimate. It's the process by which new bitcoins are created and transactions are verified and added to the blockchain ledger. Miners use powerful computers to solve complex mathematical puzzles that validate transactions on the network. In return for their efforts, they are rewarded with newly minted bitcoins and transaction fees.