You do not need a forensic lab to walk away from most crypto pitches. Start a mental stopwatch. Guaranteed daily percentages, “risk-free” signals or a perfect win rate on unverifiable screenshots: stop. A request for an advance fee, tax or “verification deposit” before you can withdraw money that is supposedly already yours: stop. A five-minute deadline, ten seats left, or a demand to keep the talk in private messages only: stop.
Transfers to a personal card, random wallet or exchange UID the handler typed are not how regulated venues settle. Anyone who wants your seed phrase, private key, full-access API keys or a remote-desktop session (AnyDesk, TeamViewer and cousins) is collecting control, not teaching you. Clone domains that almost spell a big exchange, bonuses you must “trade through” before withdrawal, and managers with no legal entity you can find on a register you opened yourself all count.
Quick checks if you are still unsure: type the URL yourself; ignore the chat link. Look at account age and review quality. Confirm apps only from the official site or store listing. Match any token contract on a block explorer you navigated to cold. If two or three flags stack, you already have your answer — block, report, and do not send “just a little more” to unlock the fiction.
If this pattern matches something you’ve been offered, start at Get help. If someone is already pitching “recovery”, read Fake recovery before you pay another fee.
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.