Crypto Investing Safely and Securely
Staying safe means protecting your wallet, your seed phrase, and your decisions from tricks that try to separate you from your money. In crypto, most losses don’t come from “hacking the blockchain”, they come from people clicking a bad link or signing something they didn’t understand.
Quick Checklist
· Bookmark official sites and type them in once before you bookmark. Don’t click links from DMs or random comments.
· Read every wallet pop-up. If it looks like it’s sending funds or changing permissions and you didn’t plan to, cancel.
· Never share your seed phrase. Ever. No admin, no “support rep,” nobody should ask.
· If something feels rushed or guaranteed, walk away. Pressure and one-way promises are red flags.
Common Scams
1) Rugpulls
A “rug pull” is when a project’s insiders suddenly cash out of the money they placed into the token, usually by removing the liquidity or dumping a large stash of tokens. This leaves regular buyers holding coins they can’t sell or that crash to near-zero. Often, rug-pullers build hype, take in funds, then pull the floor out from under everyone.
Look for a clear team identity with a solid and reasonable structure and goals. Ensure liquidity is locked and verifiable, no hidden mint powers to print more tokens, and transparent wallets you can track. If you don’t see those basics, it is better to avoid.
2) Phishing links & fake mints
You see a “limited airdrop” or “surprise mint,” you click, your wallet asks you to sign something weird. Often, it will include urgent messages demanding you act now or miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
If something feels off, do not sign it, disconnect your wallet if possible, and close out of the window.
3) Impersonation (“support” DMs)
A stranger with a logo says they’re staff and need your seed to “recover” your funds. Often, it will include urgent messages demanding you act now or lose everything.
No one legitimate needs your seed phrase. If a message asks for it, it is 100% a scam.
4) “Guaranteed returns” & giveaway traps
“Send 1 SOL, get 2 SOL back,” “VIP group with 100% win rate,” or “unlock fee” to withdraw.
If returns are guaranteed or you must pay to get your own money back, it’s likely a scam.
5) Grooming / romance-style investment plays
Someone builds rapport for weeks, then steers you to a sketchy site you’ve never heard of. They often claim they are in need of money (in the form of crypto) to place collateral on a false imprisonment or to leave the country to meet up with you. But, they promise they will give you the money back once the trouble clears up.
No matter the relationship, do not move funds to anyone you met online, or if something does not feel right.
When your wallet pops up, think of it like a receipt before purchase:
· Does it send funds? If yes, to who and for how much?
· Does it change authority/permissions? If you don’t know what that is, don’t approve it.
· Are you expecting this? If you weren’t about to click “Buy” or “Mint,” you likely don’t need to sign anything.
Slow down – Read everything – Verify everything
If you are unsure, ask for help from a trusted family member or friend.
If you think you may have gotten scammed, disconnect your wallet, and try to move assets to another wallet. Document all links, messages, and wallet and transfer IDs through screen capture.
