Street stickers and flyers that wear the Crypto.com logo and promise something like “up to $50 in CRO” look official because the brand is real. Crypto.com does run referral programmes; bonuses are typically paid in Cronos (CRO), a token whose price moves, and they usually sit behind know-your-customer checks, trading or staking conditions — not free cash taped to a wall.
Anyone can print a code. The flyer is aggressive offline affiliate marketing: download the app, register with their code, trade, maybe order a card. That is not, by itself, proof of a fake exchange. The trouble starts when the sticker leads you to a side link, an APK outside the App Store or Google Play, or a “helper” who wants payment to unlock the bonus, pass an “AML check”, or activate a contract. Seed phrases and remote-desktop “support” never belong in a referral story.
If you want the app at all, install it only from the official stores, ignore strangers offering activation help, and read the live referral terms inside the product — they change by country. A wall code is a marketing tip for the person who stuck it there, not a gift from the company. For fraud after a deposit or a fake helper, see Get help; for claw-back pitches that follow, see Fake recovery.
This article is for general information only. It is not legal or financial advice. Details change. If you have lost money, contact your bank or card issuer and use the routes on the help pages.