🛡️ Don’t Get Scammed
Every scam is the same trick in a new costume. Learn to see it.
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One trick, many costumes
Every crypto scam is one move: create urgency or greed, then ask for your keys or your coins.
The costumes:
- 🚨 "Your account is compromised — verify your seed phrase NOW"
- 💰 "Send 1 BTC, receive 2 back!" (celebrity giveaway)
- 💕 A charming online "romance" that turns to investing tips
- 📈 A "guaranteed" trading platform with impossible returns
Spot the pattern: urgency + keys/coins = scam. Always.
Quick check: A verified account posts: "Elon is giving back! Send 0.1 BTC, get 0.2 back!" This is…
- A scam, 100% of the time, no exceptions ✓
- Worth a small test amount
- Legit if the account has a checkmark
Nobody doubles your money. Verified accounts get hacked precisely to run this scam. "Send X, get 2X back" has stolen billions — from smart people in a hurry.
The stoic shield: slowness
Scammers weaponize urgency because panic disables thinking. Your defense is the most stoic move there is: slow down.
Bitcoin transactions are irreversible. Anyone rushing you is stealing from you.
"If it is not right, do not do it; if it is not true, do not say it." — Marcus Aurelius
Add: if it is urgent and involves your keys, do not touch it.
Quick check: What’s the single best response to ANY urgent crypto message?
- Act fast before it’s too late
- Stop. Wait a day. Verify through official channels yourself ✓
- Forward it to friends to warn them
Real opportunities and real support will still be there tomorrow. Scams evaporate under 24 hours of patience. Slowness is a superpower.
Quick check: Which of these will a REAL wallet company or exchange ask for?
- Your seed phrase, to "verify" your wallet
- Remote access to your computer
- None of these — ever ✓
Legit companies never need your seed, your private keys, or your screen. You now know more about self-defense than most people who’ve held bitcoin for years.