Comprehensive Guide to Scam Tactics — Stay Vigilant!

Scams refer to acts of fraud where perpetrators illegally seize public or private property by fabricating facts or concealing the truth to obtain relatively large sums of money. In recent years, various types of digital assets scams have proliferated, and frequent fraud cases have resulted in significant losses of assets.

Based on this, this article will outline several common forms of digital assets scams, along with safety tips on how to avoid risks and prevent fraud. Please stay vigilant and protect your funds.

(1) Fake Activities

Scammers form fake official Telegram, WeChat, or QQ groups, impersonate official staff, and spread fake announcements/activities — such as "Launching an airdrop for XX coin" — to lure users into logging into unknown websites or participating in fake wealth management activities, stealing user assets through the acquisition of personal information.

Fake Airdrop Activity

Prevention Tips:

• For announcements, activities, and other information, please refer to the official website announcements. Please stay alert and watch out for scams. OKX Official Website: www. okx. com

(2) Investment Scams

①Scammers build trust through online dating or friendship methods, or by showing off high returns to create the persona of an investment guru. They then guide users to invest on designated platforms, ultimately preventing users from withdrawing or transferring their assets.

②Scammers impersonate partnerships with OKX official channels. They add users on social platforms like WeChat, QQ, and Telegram to pull them into groups, enticing users to invest through "arbitrage," "high returns," "signal groups," or "crypto savings" schemes. They guide users to trade on designated platforms, directly transferring or stealing assets.

③Scammers lure users by promising "smart contract auto-returns," "incremental interest," "arbitrage," or "earning returns based on the latest technology" — enticing users to transfer ETH to a certain wallet, promising that OKB will be returned proportionally. In reality, the assets transferred by scammers are not genuine OKB. Once users withdraw to the scam address, those assets will be permanently lost.

"Incremental Investment" Scam

Prevention Tips:

• Do not withdraw digital assets to gambling websites or romance bait platforms.
• Be extra cautious with any project or information promising high returns or high return rates — do not trust them lightly.
• Be wary of peer-to-peer trading of digital assets and virtual gift cards (such as phone cards). Try to conduct trading on official trading platforms.

(3) Impersonation of Platform Officials

1. Phone Scams

Scammers impersonate platform customer service or other official personnel — even posing as law enforcement — by adding social media accounts or calling users with virtual numbers. Exploiting users' fear, they trick users into providing account information or withdrawing/transferring assets under the guise of "resolving account risks" or "assisting with security investigations."

2. Screen-Sharing Scams

Scammers impersonate platform customer service, also using platform account-related issues as a pretext to lure users into downloading certain classroom or meeting apps. They then "guide" users through screen-sharing to perform asset withdrawals, stealing wallet private key information and窃取 user assets.

Prevention Tips:

• If you receive calls/emails/websites/WeChat messages claiming to be "OKX official," you can verify them on the OKX Official Channel Verification page, or contact official customer support for inquiry to avoid being scammed.
• When it comes to any account or asset security information, never engage in "screen sharing," "taking photos or screenshots and sending them" — always stay vigilant.

(4) Phishing Website Scams

Scammers impersonate platform staff, create phishing websites, and post fake information. Through SMS, emails, and other means, they falsely claim "account upgrades," "migrations," "liquidations," "triggering risk controls," "funds at risk," "becoming international users," etc., luring users to click phishing links or scan QR codes. Once account passwords and other information are leaked, the digital assets in the user's account will be quickly stolen.

In addition to phishing websites, scammers also develop fake apps containing the "OKX" keyword to lure users into installing and downloading them. If users log into, deposit, or trade on these fake clients, their assets will be stolen by criminals.

Prevention Tips:

• Do not click on any unknown links or scan any unknown QR codes; do not enter your OKX account credentials or personal information on unverified websites.
• To download the official app, follow the official recommended download method. Do not download any clients from unknown sources. Click to View OKX App Download Tutorial
• For platform business changes and other information, you can log into OKX and check the announcements section for the latest activity announcements to verify authenticity.

SMS Containing Phishing Website

Phishing Website Page

(5) Fiat Trading Scams

Fiat currency refers to the legal tender issued by the state. Fiat trading, as Step 1 in digital assets trading, involves purchasing digital assets with legal tender or selling digital assets for fiat currency. Common scam cases in fiat trading are as follows:

1. Over-the-Counter (OTC) Trading Scams

Over-the-counter trading refers to buyers and sellers privately communicating to reach a trading agreement without going through the platform. Instead, they make payments privately through WeChat, Alipay, bank transfers, etc.

If both parties do not trade through the platform's buy/sell interface, and the seller transfers digital assets to the buyer's account via OKX's internal transfer channel, but the buyer refuses to pay after receiving the assets — the seller is scammed. Alternatively, the buyer transfers money to the seller privately via WeChat, etc., but the seller refuses to transfer assets after receiving the money — the buyer is scammed.

Typically, scammers post on various social channels or proactively contact users, offering to buy digital assets (such as USDT) at high prices or sell at low prices, as well as trading virtual gift cards like phone cards and fuel cards. In the early stages, they build trust through trades. In later transactions, they refuse to pay/refuse to transfer assets/deposit fake assets, or even go "offline" or block the user, causing financial losses.

Over-the-Counter Digital Assets Trading Scam

Prevention Tips:

• OTC trading carries high risk — please use the platform's 【Buy Crypto】 section for fiat buy/sell trading.
• In OTC trading, scammers often sell digital assets below market price to buyers or buy back above market price from sellers, using "personal reputation" and "熟人 trust" as backing to gain trust.
• OKX does not encourage users to engage in OTC trading, as off-platform private trading does not follow the platform's prescribed trading process. If you encounter a scam, the platform will be unable to assist in processing.

(2) Triangular Scams

Scammers defraud both buyers and sellers双向, stealing assets. For example, the scammer contacts buyer A, saying they want to sell crypto, and asks A to prepare to place an order. At the same time, the scammer contacts seller B, saying they want to buy crypto, and asks seller B to place an order according to instructions. The scammer then sends seller B's order to buyer A, and provides buyer A with a new bank card number (the scammer's card), asking buyer A to transfer money to the new card.

Prevention Tips:

• Typically, to avoid the scam being exposed, scammers will instruct buyer A and seller B not to proactively communicate with each other online, and will ask buyer A to transfer money to a new bank card (the scammer's card).
• When making payments, only transfer to the counterparty's platform-linked收款 account — refuse to transfer to any account not bound to the platform.

(3) Fabricated Payment Proofs

Scammers pretend to buy crypto, click "Payment Made" on the order page without actually completing the payment, then demand the seller release the assets. They send the seller a fake payment receipt, urging them to release the coins. The seller, seeing the payment receipt, lowers their guard and releases the assets — falling right into the trap.

Prevention Tips:

• Scammers will proactively send "payment receipts" and urge the seller to release the assets quickly.
• Please carefully verify in your bank or other receiving account whether the payment amount has arrived before releasing assets.
• Before receiving payment, do not easily trust any payment receipts or payment screenshots provided by the other party — there is a high likelihood they are perfectly forged fake documents.

(6) Ponzi & Romance Bait Scams

"Ponzi schemes" are generally projects or platforms with absolutely no value. Through pyramid-style recruitment, they lure investors to invest funds. The earliest investors and the project operators profit from the money of later investors. Ponzi schemes essentially operate on a "using new money to pay old" model. They maintain temporary stability by continuously attracting new investors. Once the cash flow breaks, Ponzi schemes collapse immediately, causing later investors to lose everything.

In "romance bait" scams, scammers develop online romantic relationships with targets through online friendship or other methods. Or they pose as investment mentors, showing off high returns in various groups, wealth management forums, and investment discussion boards, leaving contact information for others to add them. After building trust, scammers induce users to transfer assets from major exchanges to the scam platform for trading. Users initially profit, increase their funds, suffer consecutive losses, and are unable to withdraw remaining assets.

Prevention Tips:

• Ponzi scheme projects issue worthless air coins, emphasize high dividends and high returns, weaving wealth myths to brainwash investors. Terms like "team leader" and "family" are commonly used by Ponzi schemes.
• Scammers lure users to invest with "guaranteed profits" and "high returns," even persuading users to borrow money for investment or make large deposits; carefully evaluate various "investment guru" signals and tempting offers such as "arbitrage" and "airdrops" — avoid transferring crypto to romance bait platforms.
• Maintain a healthy investment mindset and do not rely on luck. Please be cautious about any project promising risk-free returns, principal protection with guaranteed returns above XX%, or projects that directly or indirectly set withdrawal thresholds under various conditions.
• If you realize you have been scammed, be sure to stop the loss promptly. Do not fall for the scammer's蛊惑 to increase your investment. Collect and preserve your chat records with the scammer and trading records on the scam platform, and contact the police immediately.

(7) Common Telegram Scams

Various types of scams have also appeared in Telegram groups. The following types of scams are very common in Telegram groups. Please watch out for risks if you encounter the following situations.

1. Strangers in Private Chats Stealing Information or Assets

Strangers may private message you at any time on Telegram. If someone recommends a project and asks you to transfer money or register for unknown software, please stay vigilant to avoid losing funds or having your information stolen. You may also receive unknown links or strange files — file names are often official announcements or adult content — and these files may well be trojan viruses. Do not easily download or click on them.

Prevention Tips:

• Do not easily trust private messages from strangers. If disturbed, you can choose to block them.
• Do not click on unknown links received out of the blue, or scan QR codes from unknown sources.

2. Fake Official Community Scams

If you are added to an unknown group — such as various contract groups, arbitrage groups, swap groups, arbitrage groups, or interest-earning smart contract groups — or receive private messages from others recommending a project, do not easily trust them.

There are many fake official communities on Telegram. Most members in these groups are bots and shills. Scammers may even impersonate platform officials in the group, posting various fake investment inducement information such as digital assets swaps, transferring funds to wallets for returns, scanning QR codes to claim airdrops, and showing off high-return projects. Do not believe any of this, and do not click on unknown links or operating tutorials shared in the group.

Prevention Tips:

Any unsolicited private message inducing investment, asking you to transfer assets to a specified address, or proactively sharing airdrops, dividends, or arbitrage tutorials — all of these are scams. Do not easily join or trust any arbitrage groups, crypto-mining groups, or any project claiming high returns and safety. Do not believe any group or individual claiming they can unlock account risk controls for you.

3. Illegal & Unregulated Information Scams

If someone on Telegram sends information about money-laundering schemes, stealing or cashing USD, or other illegal/irregular information, as well as unknown project advertisements or gambling information, do not believe them.

Prevention Tips: All illegal and irregular information is a scam. If you encounter such situations, you can also choose to block the message directly.

Security Tips

① Keep Your Account Security Information Confidential

• Do not disclose your wallet password, private key, seed phrase, or Keystore file to anyone.
• Official personnel will not ask for your security information. Do not share your account password, SMS/Google/email verification codes, or other security information with anyone.
• When it comes to any account or asset security information, never engage in "screen sharing," "taking photos or screenshots and sending them" — always stay vigilant.

② Be Careful About Which Platform You Log Into

• When logging into websites, do not search for the URL through a search engine to log in, so as to avoid entering a fake site. You can manually enter the URL to log in. OKX official URL: www. okx. com
• Do not enter your OKX account credentials or account security information on unofficial websites or unofficial apps, to avoid being stolen by phishing websites or network trojans.
• Some phishing websites can steal assets as soon as you click on them. Therefore, unknown links and QR codes from non-official URLs all carry risks — do not easily click or scan them.

③ Do Not Trust Any Information Claiming to Be "Official"

• For OKX platform activities and business changes, please refer to official website announcements. Please stay alert and watch out for scams.
• OKX will not ask you to perform any buy/sell crypto, withdrawal, or transfer operations, nor will it conduct any investment-related promotions; any claim that they are an OKX partner or that they are acting as OKX official personnel to guide asset transfers or investment is suspected fraud.
• If you receive calls/emails/websites/WeChat messages claiming to be "OKX official," you can verify them on the OKX Official Channel Verification page, or contact official customer support for inquiry to avoid being scammed.
• If you discover you have been scammed, be sure to stop the loss promptly. Preserve your chat records with the scammer and trading records on the scam platform, and contact the police immediately.

④ Be Wary of Tempting Offers Such as High Returns

• Carefully evaluate tempting offers such as high returns, guru signals, arbitrage, interest-earning, swaps, and incremental gains. Avoid transferring digital assets to gambling websites or romance bait platforms.
• If someone proactively private messages you about a project or sends unknown files or links, please stay vigilant and do not easily click or view them. If someone proactively private messages you about buying USDT at low prices or selling at high prices and provides a so-called official trading guarantee, do not trust them to avoid unnecessary asset losses.
• Be wary of peer-to-peer trading of digital assets and virtual gift cards (such as phone cards). The security of private trading cannot be guaranteed and it is usually a scam. Try to conduct trading on official trading platforms.
• If you discover you have been scammed, be sure to stop the loss promptly. Preserve your chat records with the scammer and trading records on the scam platform, and contact the police immediately.

OKX once again reminds all users to stay vigilant. Do not log into unofficial websites, do not click on unknown links or scan unknown QR codes, do not trust promotional calls/emails/activities claiming to be official, and do not transfer assets or withdraw to any suspicious addresses — to prevent account passwords and other information from being leaked, resulting in asset losses. If you encounter websites, calls, or emails claiming to be OKX official, please verify on official channels or contact customer support promptly to check authenticity.

Disclaimer

This article may contain product-related content not applicable to your region. This article is intended solely to provide general information and does not accept responsibility for any factual errors or omissions. This article represents the author's personal views only and does not represent OKX's views. This article does not intend to provide any advice, including but not limited to: (i) investment advice or investment recommendations; (ii) offers or solicitations to buy, sell, or hold digital assets; or (iii) financial, accounting, legal, or tax advice. Holdings of digital assets (including stablecoins) involve high risk, may fluctuate significantly, or even become worthless. You should carefully consider whether trading or holding digital assets is suitable for you based on your financial situation. For questions specific to your circumstances, please consult your legal/tax/investment professional. The information in this article (including market data and statistical information, if any) is for general reference only. Although all reasonable precautions have been taken in preparing such data and charts, we assume no responsibility for any factual errors or omissions expressed herein. © 2025 OKX. This article may be reproduced or distributed in its entirety, and excerpts of 100 words or less may be used, provided that such use is non-commercial in nature. Any reproduction or distribution of the full article must prominently state: "This article is copyrighted © 2025 OKX, used with permission." Permitted excerpts must cite the article title and include attribution, e.g., "Article title, [author name (if applicable)], © 2025 OKX." Some content may have been generated or assisted by artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Derivative works and other uses of this article are not permitted.

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