Scammers Have Stolen More Than $1 Billion in Crypto: Here’s How to Buy Your Bitcoin Safely

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The average victim of a crypto scam loses $2,600 worth of crypto, and I was almost one of them. Find out what it’s like to be scammed and how to diversify your portfolio safely. 

Bitcoin has been a phenomenal investment for many. It has appreciated 2,500% since 2013, going from $99.99 to about $25,000 per coin. But crypto is confusing, and scammers like to take advantage of folks unsure how to invest in Bitcoin.

Scammers have stolen over $1 billion of crypto (mainly Bitcoin) between 2021 and 2022, according to a report by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Not even romance is safe from scammers — romance scams are one of the most common crypto frauds out there.

Most common crypto scams

Crypto lacks regulation. People aren’t sure who to trust. The 2022 FTC report lists the biggest crypto scams traders should watch out for:

Investment-related fraudRomance scamsBusiness imposters

More than $500 million of scam action boils down to fake investments. Fraudsters contact crypto-curious Americans, claiming they can earn huge investment returns. And why not? After all, people have made millions by investing in coins as ridiculous-sounding as Dogecoin, haven’t they? (Fun fact: Dogecoin is up over 1,000% since inception.)

Scams can be persuasive. I would know — I almost fell for one.

Here’s what it’s like to be conned

A fraudster impersonating one of my favorite YouTube accounts claimed they were giving out “free crypto” as an experiment. I had to send them some Bitcoin to confirm I was real (in hindsight, a huge red flag). I was literally typing “how to transfer Bitcoin” into Google when it occurred to me that, hey — this could be a scam!

I’m a digital native. Over half my life is spent online. I’ve seen scams — they’ve sucked cash from older family members less digitally savvy than me. They were clumsy, and in hindsight, they seemed glaringly obvious. I invest in cybersecurity software and do my due diligence.

Despite all that, I nearly fell for a spam account that probably took five minutes to set up. Yeesh. Talk about humbling. According to the FTC report, the average victim loses $2,600 worth of crypto. I almost lost about half that — enough money to kick-start a solid emergency fund.

As I scrolled through that scammer’s account, rage building at my way-too-close call, it occurred to me: If someone like me can fall for a low-budget crypto scam, anyone can.

How to spot crypto scams

Scammers are like clingy exes — they linger within the DMs of your favorite social feeds. According to the FDIC report, 40% of scammers contacted victims over social media (mainly Instagram). These hucksters play by the same tactics that make them easier to spot.

Three rules of thumb:

If someone guarantees you profits on your investment, they are scamming you.If someone asks you to buy crypto, they are scamming you.If a digital date asks you to move crypto anywhere for any reason, it’s a scam.

Sorting through the nonsense is enough to make the average investor want to pack up their bags and wait out this whole “crypto thing,” potentially missing out on diversified returns. But it’s possible to outsmart the scammers and buy your Bitcoin safely.

Stick to crypto exchanges

Scammers can put a lot of effort into squeezing you for your money. They’ll take advantage of your confusion around crypto and digital wallets. Worst of all, they’ll break your heart as they rip you off. (Cue the sad violin music.)

How to avoid being scammed?

The easiest solution is to stick with an exchange for everything crypto. Avoid wallet-to-wallet transfers with internet strangers. Buy and sell currency directly through reputable exchanges. Stick to well-researched currencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum to avoid rug pulls, a type of crypto scam that ends in collapsing crypto prices.

Crypto exchanges will never ask for money, and they certainly won’t guarantee you sky-high returns. (Not without getting the side-eye from U.S. regulators, that is.) Nor will they attempt to solicit nudes they can use to blackmail you for coins (the FTC report gets awfully specific).

The best cryptocurrency exchanges offer how-tos on investing in your favorite crypto and the information you need to determine whether an investment is right for you. Spoiler: No crypto is 100% guaranteed to return a profit. Not even Bitcoin.

Don’t want to deal with scams? Stick to crypto exchanges, like the best places to buy Bitcoin safely. It’s easy and one of the safest ways for regular folks to diversify their investments. Or avoid crypto entirely — no matter their decisions, investors have options.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Cole Tretheway has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Bitcoin, and Ethereum. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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