Crypto Scam Checker

Got a DM about a "guaranteed" crypto opportunity? Someone showing you screenshots of massive returns? Crypto scam losses hit $5.6 billion in 2024 — a 45% increase from 2023. And 2025-2026 is even worse with AI-generated deepfakes and sophisticated pig butchering operations.

Scamometer analyzes crypto investment pitches, DMs, and token offers using AI trained on thousands of documented scam patterns. Paste any suspicious message and get an instant scam probability score.

Check Any Crypto Message Instantly

Paste a DM, investment pitch, or token offer. Get a scam probability score in seconds.

Scan a Crypto Message — Free
2024
$5.6B
Pig butchering + AI-powered scams exploded
2023
$3.96B
FBI IC3 report — 53% increase YoY
2022
$2.57B
Terra/Luna collapse, FTX fraud
2021
$1.6B
DeFi rug pulls peaked

The 6 Most Dangerous Crypto Scams in 2026

Pig Butchering

$3.96B in 2023EXTREME

The #1 crypto scam. Someone builds a "relationship" (romantic or friendly), then introduces a "guaranteed" crypto trading platform. You see fake profits, deposit more, then can't withdraw. Named because scammers "fatten the pig before slaughter."

Rug Pulls

$2.8B in 2024VERY HIGH

Developers create a new token, pump the price via social media hype, then drain all liquidity and disappear. The token becomes worthless overnight. Common on Solana and BSC memecoins.

Fake Exchanges

$1.2B lifetimeHIGH

Cloned interfaces of Coinbase, Binance, or Kraken with slightly different URLs. You deposit crypto and can never withdraw. Some even show fake balances to keep you depositing.

Pump & Dump Groups

OngoingHIGH

Telegram/Discord groups claiming insider info on the "next 100x coin." Organizers buy first, pump their followers in, then sell the top. Followers always lose.

Airdrop Scams

Rising fastHIGH

"Connect your wallet to claim free tokens." The smart contract drains your entire wallet. Never approve unlimited token spending from unknown contracts.

Recovery Scams

Double victimizationHIGH

After losing money to a crypto scam, "recovery experts" target victims promising to get money back — for an upfront fee. They never recover anything.

8 Red Flags in Crypto Scam Messages

📈

Guaranteed Returns

"10% daily returns" or "guaranteed profits" — no legitimate investment can promise fixed returns. Markets are inherently unpredictable.

Limited Time Pressure

"Only 100 spots left" or "presale ends in 2 hours" — legitimate projects don't need artificial urgency to raise funds.

🤫

"Secret" or "Insider" Info

"I'm sharing this with only a few people" — if it were really profitable insider information, they wouldn't share it with strangers.

💎

Celebrity Endorsements

Fake Elon Musk, MrBeast, or influencer endorsements. Always verify on official accounts — deepfake video endorsements are now common.

🔒

Can't Withdraw Funds

"Pay a tax/fee/gas to withdraw" — this is the most common sign your money is already gone. Legitimate platforms never require deposits to release funds.

📲

DMs From Strangers

Unsolicited messages about crypto opportunities on Telegram, Discord, Twitter, or dating apps. Real investors don't cold-DM strangers.

🏗️

No Verifiable Team

Anonymous founders, stock photo team pages, or unverifiable LinkedIn profiles. Legitimate projects have doxxed, verifiable teams.

📄

No Audit / Whitepaper

No smart contract audit, plagiarized whitepaper, or vague tokenomics. Real projects invest in transparency.

Lost Money to a Crypto Scam?

  1. Stop sending money immediately — sunk cost fallacy is how scammers keep you depositing.
  2. Report to FBI IC3 at ic3.gov — the FBI has recovered funds in some cases.
  3. Report to FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
  4. Contact your exchange (Coinbase, Binance) — they may be able to flag or freeze destination wallets.
  5. Beware "recovery" scams — anyone promising to recover your crypto for an upfront fee is scamming you again.
  6. Document everything — screenshots, wallet addresses, transaction hashes, all communications. For law enforcement.

How Scamometer Detects Crypto Scams

🤖

AI Pattern Matching

Trained on documented pig butchering scripts, rug pull promotions, and fake exchange communications.

10-Second Analysis

Paste any message and get instant results. No wallet connection required — we only analyzes text.

🎯

Specific Red Flags

Not just a score — explains exactly why a message looks suspicious, citing specific scam patterns.

DYOR Starts Here

Before you invest, scan the pitch. 10 seconds could save your portfolio.

Check If It's a Crypto Scam →

Scamometer uses AI pattern analysis and is not financial advice. Always do your own research before investing.

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