If you’re on social media, you’re at risk. Con men aren’t stupid and they will use every trick in the book to get you to part from your crypto. We’ll be using Twitter for our examples but these scammers will contact you across all social media platforms. The same rules will apply.
Beware of these indicators:
· The Twitter account is new (recently created in the last few months or less)
· The Twitter account is old but has become active again (check their Twitter feed if you are concerned about this)
· The account is spoofing someone else e.g. @Colinthecrypto1 is a different account from @C0linthecrypto1 or @colinthecyrpto1 This practice is absolutely prolific. You can check that the account is the right person by clicking on the profile.
· No personal information or nothing verifiable on their Twitter account
· There is a sad story that you may be told about the scammers past. They’re terminally ill, have had a family tragedy, a sick child, financial problems etc. Don’t take it at face value; there are a lot of sad stories on the internet.
· Personal pictures can be faked. You can create or add any profile images that you want on your profile, the scammers certainly do.
In addition to this, be very aware of any conversations you are a part of. You will find that they have similar life experiences, an interest in the same hobbies that you have, they might share your birthday, support the same sports team - perhaps they have a dog too? Do you believe this is a happy coincidence? By creating common ground with their victim, the scammer builds trust, a common psychological trick.