Bitcoin Scams list

As Bitcoin adoption grows more widespread, more scammers try to get honest people to give away their cryptocurrencies under false pretense. Because of that, it’s fundamental to find out what kind of methods online criminals use – and how to avoid falling into their trap.

Types of Bitcoin scams

• Social Engineering scams: Scammers try to gain the trust of the would-be victim by pretending to be someone honest and reliable. They will usually pretend to be a bank representative or a family member in distress and ask for a Bitcoin transfer.
• Phishing scams: Scammers will create sham websites or send fake emails to get people to give away their cryptocurrency in what seems to be an ordinary Bitcoin transfer – when, in fact, the victim is sending a fair sum to fraudulent users.
• Blackmail scams: Scammers will also send emails to possible victims to try and extort them under false pretense. Criminals will often claim to have a recording of sorts of the victim to make the extortion happen.
• Investing scams: One of the latest Bitcoin scams includes fraudulent startups and sham cryptocurrency-adjacent ideas (such as an Initial Coin Offering or Non-Fungible Tokens) that criminals create to get money from people only to allow them to fail soon after. There are honest ways to invest in cryptocurrency projects – unfortunately, scammers use this opportunity to steal money from their victims.

What to do if you are a victim of a scam?

The very first thing you have to do is cut contact with a scammer. They will usually try to get more money from you if you keep talking to them. After that, you can try to get your money back if possible. At the same time, you should try to report what happened on a scam watch list website to inform other people about the scam as well as hurt scammers by letting others know about their methods.

How do I get my money back?

Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to get your money back after being the victim of a Bitcoin scam. Cryptocurrencies are decentralized, which means there’s no way to get a refund or a reversal on a transaction.

You could request a refund if you transferred your money via centralized exchanges, such as Binance or eToro. Most scammers avoid using these platforms because of that reason; instead, they prefer P2P methods that cannot be traced or refunded.

How to report the scam?

When falling for a Bitcoin scam, you should report it as soon as possible so other people don’t fall into the same trap. Fill out a report by this online form. Make sure it’s as detailed as possible.

It’s important to speak up against scammers. That way, more people can be up to date with new criminal methods – and avoid falling for a scam and losing their money.