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Crypto fraud: How to protect yourself from nasty phishing traps!
Crypto Scams 2025: Tips for Identifying and Preventing Fake Investments in Bitcoin and Ethereum. Learn more!
Crypto fraud: How to protect yourself from nasty phishing traps!
Criminals are increasingly using the Internet and phishing emails to advertise supposed investments in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. According to a report by MDR These offers appear in the form of colorful online advertisements that are often designed as fake news articles and promise extremely high returns. The fraudsters use logos from well-known news providers such as ARD, ZDF, RTL, Pro7 and BBC as well as made-up statements from celebrities. Personalities such as Günter Jauch, Barbara Schöneberger, Markus Lanz and Didi Hallervorden were also abused for fake ads. Didi Hallervorden commented on these scams and their inhumane behavior in the SWR magazine Marktcheck in October 2024.
Interested parties who click on the links in these advertisements and leave their details will be contacted by scammers. These set up access to supposed trading platforms that look very similar to real online trading places. The fraud gangs usually operate from abroad.
Crypto fraud awareness
An example illustrates the machinations: An affected person became aware of a platform through advertising that was supposedly from a politician. After contacting a supposed financial advisor who assured the platform's reliability, the person concerned invested a small amount because she could not raise the required start-up capital. Initially, the account balance on the platform increased, but it was not possible to withdraw the balance.
Several attempts to contact those responsible were unsuccessful, and the person concerned eventually discovered that other users had also had negative experiences. Another caller who offered help turned out to be dubious and even made an unauthorized transfer from the person's account. The fraud ultimately became apparent due to a lack of response to contact attempts.
Recommendations to detect and avoid crypto scams include saving evidence such as emails, chat histories and websites, stopping payments immediately, protecting access to online banking and crypto accounts, changing passwords, and enabling two-factor authentication. It is also advisable to check devices for malware and to work with a lawyer to reconstruct fraudulent activities. Fraudsters are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) for their deceptive actions, using it to create realistic images and layouts and to implement chatbots.