How to Spot and Avoid Crypto Bonus Scams
Where there's a bonus, there's someone trying to fake it. Scammers clone exchange branding and dangle impossible rewards to steal deposits or personal data. Here's how to tell a real offer from a trap.
Red flags to watch for
Treat an offer with suspicion if you see any of these:
- •'Send crypto to receive double back', always a scam
- •Pressure to act 'in the next 10 minutes' or lose the bonus
- •A URL that's almost right but slightly misspelled
- •Requests for your seed phrase or private keys (never share these)
- •Bonuses promoted only via DMs, random ads or unknown Telegram groups
How to verify a bonus is real
Always reach the exchange through its official domain or a trusted comparison site, and confirm the offer exists on the exchange's own promotions page. Real exchanges never ask you to send crypto to 'unlock' a bonus, and they never need your wallet's seed phrase.
If an offer only appears in an unsolicited message, assume it's fake until you've verified it independently.
If you think you've been targeted
Stop, don't send anything, and don't enter your details. Report the account or ad to the platform it appeared on, and if you use the same password elsewhere, change it. Legitimate bonuses can wait, a scam window is designed to make you rush.
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