Staying Safe on web3

A Guide from Crypto Witch Club

If you’re a Crypto Witch navigating the world of web3 — we get that it’s not always easy! You’re learning new ways of collaborating, experiencing digital ownership for the first time, and navigating new projects, roadmaps, and online voices … which means, by default, you’re also experiencing a LOT of fake accounts. From bot DMs to emails in your inbox that look like they might be from your NFT marketplace (but also look really suspicious), we’re breaking down how to stay safe in web3 below! (You’re welcome!)

I keep getting crypto-related DMs and can’t tell if it’s a scam account or real? HALP!

- A fellow Crypto Witch on Instagram

Just like early internet — the crypto world is rife with bots, fake projects, and scam accounts posing as crypto voices and projects in the space. (Thanks to all who have been reporting the fake IG accounts targeting our followers!) Here are some tips to make sure you don’t fall victim to fake accounts and untrustworthy projects. 👉

PHISING SCAMS

A phishing scam is a type of social engineering where an attacker sends a fraudulent message designed to trick a person into revealing sensitive information to the attacker or to deploy malicious software on the victim’s infrastructure like ransomware. (Thanks Wikipedia!)

This is the #1 way we see people lose access to their accounts or get hacked online. Scammers target web3 projects + voices and create fake social media profiles, websites, and email campaigns that — at first glance — appear as if they are from a legit source or project. If an email, DM, or Discord message looks suspicious, do not click on any links in the message. To be safe, we also recommend setting your Discord to private.

Takeaway?

Scammers may try to contact you via DM, email, or text messages, pretending to be an exchange, project, or (often) customer support. Be wary when handling emails that appear that they are from a crypto-related project you are…