How to Safely Participate in Cryptocurrency Airdrops and Avoid Scam Traps

With the airdrop craze, phishing websites, malicious contracts, and other traps are emerging one after another. This article will provide you with a practical "Airdrop Scam Prevention Manual."

1. Be Aware of the Dangerous Signals of Airdrop Scams

The following five signals require special attention:

1. Fake Websites and Phishing Links: Scammers disguise themselves as official projects, luring clicks on malicious links to steal private keys or wallet assets.

Warning Signs: Misspelled URLs, no HTTPS, rough-looking pages.

2. Non-Transparent Teams: Legitimate projects disclose team identities, while scam projects often remain anonymous or use fake identities.

Warning Signs: No team information, no whitepaper, no contact information.

3. Suspicious Contracts: Malicious contracts may steal assets or authorize unlimited transfers.

Warning Signs: Contracts not audited, requests for "handling fees."

4. Exaggerated Promises: High returns or limited-time claims create a sense of urgency.

Warning Signs: Requires upfront payment or promises of skyrocketing returns.

5. Fake Social Buzz: Bots flood comments to create a false sense of popularity.

Warning Signs: Template comments on X or Telegram, proliferation of new accounts.

2. Verify the Legitimacy of Airdrop Projects

Before participating in an airdrop, due diligence (DYOR) is essential. Here are three methods:

1. Check Official Website and Social Media: Confirm official domain names, check whitepapers and team information. Search for the project on X and Discord, observe community activity.

Tools: Check the token contract creation time and transaction records on-chain.

2. On-chain Analysis: Use BscScan to check if the contract has been audited by CertiK and see if token distribution is concentrated.

3. Common Airdrop Scam Techniques

Be wary of the following tactics:

1. Pre-authorization Scams: Inducing authorization of malicious contracts, leading to stolen assets.

Example: An airdrop requires signing a "permission," which actually allows unlimited transfers.

2. Impersonated Airdrops: Pretending to be projects like Uniswap, luring visits to phishing websites.

Example: Fake airdrops stealing mnemonic phrases.

3. Paid Claims: Requesting payment in ETH as a "verification fee," which is actually a scam.

Example: Paying 0.01 ETH for "100-dollar tokens," ending up with nothing.

Airdrop opportunities are tempting, but the risks are higher. Recognizing danger signals, verifying projects, understanding scams, and developing safe habits can protect your assets.

Core Principle: Don't be greedy, verify multiple times, protect your privacy. Safety is the first principle.