Get the weekly summary of crypto market analysis, news, and forecasts! This Week’s Summary The crypto market ends the week at a total market capitalization of $1,070 trillion. Bitcoin is down by nearly 2% after intense seesawing this week. Ethereum increased by almost 2% over the past seven days. XRP lost more than 1% in value this week. Almost all altcoins are trading in the red, with a few exceptions. The DeFi sector decreased the total value of protocols (TVL)…
What is a Crypto Exit Scam?
A crypto exit scam is a fraudulent scheme in which a crypto company or individual, typically the team behind a crypto project or initial coin offering (ICO), makes off with investors’ funds. The scam artists behind the scheme typically promise investors large investment returns. Still, once they’ve raised a significant amount of money, they disappear, leaving investors with worthless tokens or coins and little recourse for recovery.
One example of this is the case of the project called OneCoin. OneCoin claimed to be a digital currency, like Bitcoin, created through a process called “mining.” The project was marketed as a revolutionary new digital currency that could be used to purchase goods and services and would be more secure and private than traditional forms of money. However, in reality, OneCoin was a pyramid scheme, and the people behind it had no intention of creating a usable digital currency. Instead, they used the funds raised from investors to pay earlier investors, creating the illusion of returns and a sense of legitimacy.
But it was not true; there was no real mining, no blockchain, no real value behind the coin. And the company and founders behind the project were hiding behind different companies; they created a complex web of offshore companies and bank accounts to make it difficult for authorities to trace where the money went. As a result, thousands of people lost their life savings, and some founders were arrested, except Ruja Ignatova, who’s on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list.
How to Protect Yourself Against Crypto Exit Scams
There are several steps you can take to protect yourself against crypto exit scams:
- Do your own research: Before investing in any crypto project, do your due diligence and research the team behind the project, their track record, and the details of the project’s whitepaper. Look for flags such as unrealistic returns, unclear roadmaps, and a lack of transparency about the team and their qualifications.
- Be wary of guaranteed returns: One of the most common tactics used by crypto scammers is to guarantee investment returns. Therefore, be suspicious of any project that promises guaranteed returns, as these are often too good to be true.
- Check if the project has a working product: Verify that the project has a working product or prototype before investing. This will give you an idea of the project’s potential and whether it is worth investing in.
- Use caution when investing in ICOs: Initial coin offerings (ICOs) are high-risk investments, as they are often not regulated and do not have the same level of oversight as traditional securities. Read the fine print in the offering documents and check for any red flags before investing.
- Avoid investing in new projects with anonymous teams: It is best to avoid new projects where the team behind the project is anonymous. This lack of transparency is a red flag for a possible exit scam.
- Always keep your private key safe: Store it in a safe place; it is the only way to access your digital assets. Keep it offline and avoid sharing it with anyone.
- Beware of phishing scams: Scammers often try to impersonate legitimate projects to steal your private key or login credentials. Double-check the website URL, and avoid clicking on links in emails or social media that you are unsure about.
- Avoid FOMO (Fear of missing out): avoid investing in a crypto project only because you are afraid of missing out on the opportunity. Instead, take your time, research, and invest only if you are comfortable with the risk.
It’s worth noting that even if you follow these steps, there is no way to eliminate the risk of falling victim to a crypto scam, as scammers are constantly coming up with new and sophisticated methods to defraud investors.
Moreover, not all crypto projects are scams, and legitimate projects can and do fail for various reasons. But investors should always be cautious when considering an investment in a new crypto project and do their research to ensure that they’re investing in a legitimate venture. This includes looking at the team behind the project, their track record, and the details of the project’s whitepaper, among other things.