In the world of crypto, airdrops have become one of the most popular ways to distribute coins and attract new users. However, at the same time, new scams have emerged, causing people to lose money due to a moment of greed or curiosity.

👿 What does fake airdrop mean?

There are fake websites or accounts on Twitter and Telegram advertising a "free airdrop," making people believe it's from a real project. But once you link your wallet, this is what happens:

They make you sign a smart contract that allows them to withdraw your money.

- Or you pay fake fees to receive the currency, and then they disappear.

- Or once you sign (agree) to connect the smart contract to your wallet, they steal its private information, such as the 12 secret words or your wallet's private key.

📌 Huge losses due to these airdrops

According to reports, in 2024, losses of more than $9.9 billion were incurred due to fraudulent airdrops, including projects such as:

Hamster Combat

Wall Street Peepe

🧠 How do you know if the airdrop is real or a trap?

1. ❌ There is no official announcement:

If the airdrop is not mentioned on the project's official Twitter account, their official website, or Discord, stay away from it.

2. 🔐 Requests your personal information:

Never give your wallet's password, 12- or 24-word PIN, or private key to anyone. If they ask for it, know it's a scam.

3. 💸 Pay the currency receipt fee:

Real airdrops are free in exchange for completing simple tasks for the project. However, if they ask you to pay something upfront, often in the form of a commission in Ethereum that you pay them in order to receive free coins, then withdraw immediately. This is likely a scam.

4. 🌐 Strange link / site with errors:

If you see a spelling error in the link or it uses an unusual domain, it's likely a phishing site. These sites steal your wallet information.

5. 📝 Weak language and messed up speech:

If the ad is full of spelling mistakes or tries to “hurry you up” with words like “This is your last chance to win!” then this is a clear scam.

6. 🤖 Fake comments from fake accounts:

Don't rely on comments like "I received $5,000" because they are often from bots.

7. ‼️ Anonymous Project/Team:

If the project doesn't have a whitepaper, a roadmap, an official website, or even a known team, then (withdraw and run).

8. ✅ Unreasonable permissions:

Some airdrops force you to grant permissions to your wallet in order to withdraw your funds. Don't simply agree to link your wallet to a site without due diligence. Read the permissions granted to the site that will be linking to your wallet.

9. 🧨 Redirecting you to sites that suck your wallet:

Once you click on (claim), you are signing a malicious contract that withdraws your money from your wallet.

10. 🎁 Promises of big prizes:

This sentence or something similar: "Get $2,000 for free" sounds too good to be true. It's not real. Quit and run!

🔐 Real-life examples of fake airdrops:

🐹 Hamster Combat:

There have been massive scams on Telegram using fake websites.

🐸 Wall Street Pepe (WEPE):

Their fake website made people sign or register for malicious contracts and stole money from people's wallets.

💥 HEX:

They used a website similar to the official website and stole people's coins.

⚡ ABOUT:

A fake link made people connect their wallets to the site and fake smart contracts and withdraw their money immediately.

🎯 How do you protect yourself?

- Use tools like revoke.cash to review the permissions associated with your wallet.

- Do not sign/agree to any contract if you do not know what it means.

- Beware of links from unknown and suspicious people and accounts.

- Follow only official channels, and make sure of their links.

- Learn more about using your wallet and what signatures mean.

🔄 The evolution of airdrops from free distribution to a real reward

Airdrops have changed from their previous form. Projects are moving away from the idea of "taking free coins" to a smarter, more secure approach. They distribute coins to "active" users who contribute to the network's activity.

✅ New types of airdrops:

- Activity-Based Airdrop:

In this type of airdrop, the project awards coins to people who have actually participated in the project, such as those who staked, tested apps, or voted on decisions within the project.

Retroactive Airdrop:

This means the project takes a snapshot of your old activity, and if you are a real user, it gives you coins even if you didn't request them.

- Using artificial intelligence (AI):

New projects use artificial intelligence and machine learning to distinguish between bots and real users and detect fake wallets and scammers.

🎯 Why is this change important?

Because it ensures that the coins go to a real community, not scammers. This helps build truly successful projects that generate real engagement, not just numbers on a screen.

The goal is to build strong, decentralized communities built on contribution, not greed.