📖 Scam Pattern Library

Real scam patterns with real examples. Know what to look for so you never fall for it.

From Bedside to Blockchain — by Nurse2Web3

🐷

Pig Butchering

CRITICAL

A long-con scam where someone builds trust over weeks/months before convincing you to invest in a fake platform.

How It Works (Step by Step)

1

You get a message on a dating app, WhatsApp, Instagram, or LinkedIn from an attractive, successful-looking person

2

They build a friendship or romantic connection over days or weeks — they're patient

3

They casually mention how well their crypto investments are going

4

They offer to "teach" you or introduce you to their "mentor" or "uncle's platform"

5

You invest a small amount on a fake platform — and it "works." You see fake profits.

6

They encourage bigger investments. You put in more.

7

When you try to withdraw, you're told you need to pay "taxes," "fees," or "verification costs"

8

You pay the fees — and then they disappear with everything

Real Examples

"Hey! I accidentally messaged the wrong number but you seem nice 😊 Where are you from?"

"I just made $3,000 this week from crypto trading! My uncle showed me this platform."

"You just need to deposit $500 to start. I'll guide you through every step."

"To withdraw your profits, you need to pay a 15% tax fee first. It's required by regulations."

How to Protect Yourself

  • ✓If someone you met online talks about crypto investing — it's a scam. Period.
  • ✓Real investments don't require you to pay fees to withdraw YOUR OWN money
  • ✓Never invest on a platform someone else recommended via DM
  • ✓Google the platform name + "scam" — you'll usually find victims
  • ✓Report to FBI IC3 at ic3.gov
🍯

Honeypot Token

CRITICAL

A token designed to let you buy but prevent you from selling. Your money goes in and never comes out.

How It Works (Step by Step)

1

Scammer creates a token with hidden code that blocks sell transactions

2

They list it on a DEX like Uniswap or PancakeSwap

3

They pump the price with fake trades or hype in Telegram groups

4

People see the price going up and buy in (FOMO)

5

When buyers try to sell — the transaction fails or they get 0 tokens back

6

The scammer sells their tokens (they whitelisted themselves) and walks away

Real Examples

Token price chart shows only green candles going up — because nobody CAN sell

Telegram group says "1000x gem 🚀" with 10,000 members (mostly bots)

When you try to sell on Uniswap, you get "Transaction cannot succeed" error

The contract has a function called "setMaxSellAmount(0)" hidden in the code

How to Protect Yourself

  • ✓ALWAYS scan the contract on CryptoSafe before buying
  • ✓Try a tiny test buy AND sell before investing real money
  • ✓If the chart shows only buys and no sells — it's a honeypot
  • ✓Never buy tokens from Telegram/Discord "calls" — 90%+ are scams
🧶

Rug Pull

CRITICAL

The creator removes all liquidity from the trading pool, making the token instantly worthless.

How It Works (Step by Step)

1

Creator launches a token and adds liquidity to a DEX

2

They promote it on social media — sometimes with fake influencer endorsements

3

People buy in, price goes up, more people FOMO in

4

At the peak, the creator removes ALL liquidity from the pool

5

The token crashes to near-zero. Holders can't sell for any meaningful amount.

6

Creator walks away with everyone's ETH/BNB/SOL

Real Examples

Squid Game token (2021) — rose 310,000% then crashed to $0 in 5 minutes

Token website disappears overnight, all social media accounts deleted

Liquidity pool goes from $500K to $0 in a single transaction

How to Protect Yourself

  • ✓Check if liquidity is LOCKED — and for how long. A 1-day lock is meaningless.
  • ✓Look at the liquidity amount — under $50K is risky for any "serious" project
  • ✓Check who holds the LP tokens — if it's one wallet, they control the rug
  • ✓Be skeptical of tokens that pump 500%+ in hours with no real product
🎭

Fake Token

DANGER

A token that impersonates a real, popular project to trick people into buying the wrong one.

How It Works (Step by Step)

1

Scammer creates a token with the same name/symbol as a popular project

2

They list it on DEX before the real project launches (or on a different chain)

3

People searching for the real token accidentally buy the fake one

4

The fake token has no real backing — it's just a name

Real Examples

Fake "Pepe 2.0" tokens — dozens of fakes launched after PEPE's success

Scam tokens named after upcoming airdrops ("LayerZero Token" before the real one)

Copycat tokens on BSC pretending to be Ethereum-based projects

How to Protect Yourself

  • ✓ALWAYS verify the contract address on the official project website
  • ✓Don't search by token name on DEX — search by contract address
  • ✓Check CoinGecko or CoinMarketCap for the official contract
  • ✓If a "new" token already has the name of a known project — it's fake
🎣

Phishing / Wallet Drainer

CRITICAL

Fake websites or approval requests that steal your crypto when you connect your wallet.

How It Works (Step by Step)

1

You click a link that looks like a real crypto site (Uniswap, OpenSea, etc.)

2

The site asks you to "connect wallet" — looks normal

3

It requests approval to "spend" your tokens — this is the trap

4

Once approved, the scammer can transfer ALL your tokens out of your wallet

5

Or they send you a "claim" transaction that actually sends your funds away

Real Examples

"You have an unclaimed airdrop! Connect wallet to claim." → drains wallet

"Uniswap V4 migration required. Approve tokens." → fake site

"Your NFTs are at risk. Revoke permissions here." → phishing site that grants permissions instead

How to Protect Yourself

  • ✓NEVER click links in DMs, emails, or ads about crypto
  • ✓Bookmark official sites and ONLY use bookmarks
  • ✓Check the URL carefully — scammers use lookalike domains (un1swap.com)
  • ✓Never approve unlimited token spending — set specific amounts
  • ✓Use Revoke.cash to check and remove suspicious approvals
📈

Pump and Dump

DANGER

Coordinated buying to inflate the price, then mass selling to crash it — leaving latecomers holding the bag.

How It Works (Step by Step)

1

A group (often in Telegram/Discord) coordinates to buy a low-cap token at the same time

2

The sudden buying pressure pumps the price 200-500%

3

The group leaders (who bought first) start selling at the top

4

People who saw the pump and FOMO'd in are now stuck with a crashing token

5

Price returns to (or below) the starting point

Real Examples

"Pump at 3PM UTC! Get in now!" — by the time you read this, insiders already bought

Token spikes 400% in 10 minutes then crashes 90% in the next 10 minutes

"Whale alert" channels that conveniently tell you to buy what they're about to sell

How to Protect Yourself

  • ✓If someone tells you when to buy a specific token — they bought it first
  • ✓Sudden price spikes on low-cap tokens are almost always pump and dumps
  • ✓Never buy based on "signals" from Telegram groups
  • ✓Check the holder distribution — if insiders hold 50%+, it's rigged

Think you've encountered one of these? Scan the token or report it.

🔍 Scan a Token🚨 Report a Scam