“I’m very cautious; meme coins hold no value for me,” she said. “I'm not interested in one hour. I'm not interested in just today.”Although Switzer’s crypto holdings make up a small portion of her overall portfolio, which mainly consists of real estate, she often checks her accounts twice a day and has an approach many would find thorough and clear-eyed.Switzer’s story, though unique, helps explain why people of all ages and financial backgrounds have been drawn to the world of crypto for reasons that go be ...

[Music] In 2020, a publisher reached out and asked me to write a book about crypto scams. I was flattered and thought, "How hard can this be?" So, turns out it's hard and takes a lot of research. But I'd been working in the industry for years by this point.My job is to advise on risks and scams. I'd read the scammers textbooks. I know scams.So, I figured at least I wouldn't fall for one. So, guess who did. And 4.2% 2 million people did in England and Wales last year.There's always been scams, but scams and ...

Core Insights - The article highlights the increasing prevalence of scams, particularly in the cryptocurrency space, targeting older adults, leading to significant financial losses [2][5]. Group 1: Scam Overview - Common scams include fake initial coin offerings (ICOs) and fraudulent digital wallets that deceive victims into providing private keys [1]. - In 2024, 147,127 Americans aged 60 and older reported losses of $4.885 billion due to scams, with cryptocurrency scams accounting for over 33,000 complaints and $2.839 billion in losses [5]. Group 2: Defense Against Scams - Education is emphasized as a crucial defense against scams, particularly for individuals aged 60 and above, who are most likely to fall victim to fraudulent investments and phishing schemes [2]. - Financial advisors are recommended for their ability to identify legitimate investment opportunities and help clients avoid risky ventures, especially in the digital currency market [4]. Group 3: Investment Alternatives - The article suggests avoiding cryptocurrency investments entirely, especially for older adults and pre-retirees, due to the volatility and risks associated with these assets [6]. - Traditional investment options such as precious metals, real estate, and the stock market are presented as safer alternatives that can provide steady growth over time [7][11]. Group 4: Specific Investment Options - Gold IRAs are highlighted as a method for building retirement funds with inflation-hedging assets, requiring a minimum purchase of $10,000 [9]. - Real estate investments through platforms like Arrived allow individuals to invest in shares of vacation homes or rental properties, starting with as little as $100 [12]. - First National Realty Partners (FNRP) offers accredited investors opportunities in necessity-based commercial real estate, focusing on grocery-anchored properties for reliable income streams [13]. Group 5: Stock Market Insights - Moby, an investment research platform, provides expert stock picks and has outperformed the S&P 500 by an average of 12% over four years, presenting a safer alternative to cryptocurrency investments [16][17].

RT Global Government Affairs (@GlobalAffairs)X has exposed and is taking strong action against a bribery network targeting our platform. Suspended accounts involved in crypto scams and platform manipulation paid middlemen to attempt to bribe employees to reinstate their suspended accounts. These perpetrators exploit social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Minecraft, and Roblox and are linked to wider criminal organizations, including “The Com.” Legal proceedings are underway against particip ...

Crypto Scam Overview - Crypto scams spike during bull runs, blending old tricks with new tech like wallet drainers and AI deep fakes [1] - A single click can wipe out crypto users, highlighting the need for caution [2] Common Crypto Scams - **Copycat Tokens:** Scammers create fake tokens with the same name/ticker as legit projects, exploiting FOMO and potentially leading to address poisoning [4][6][7] - **Wallet Drainers:** Malicious code that takes control of wallets, often through connecting to sites/apps and signing prompts [13][14] - **Shills and Rug Pulls:** Paid promotions or celebrity endorsements funneling volume into tiny pools for insiders to offload tokens, resulting in hard or slow rugs [19][20] - **Unknown Tokens:** Mystery drops engineered to make users swap, send, or follow links, leading to wallet draining [24] - **Social Engineering:** Scammers use human interaction and manipulation to push users towards transfers or logins, often supercharged by AI [29][30] Prevention Measures - Use official sources (project's X account, website) to copy contract addresses and confirm across multiple platforms [9] - Respect warnings from DEXs like Uniswap and take time for sanity checks using charting sites [10][11] - Use a burner wallet for mints, new DApps, and airdrop claims, and revoke approvals using tools like RevokeCash [18][19] - Treat glowing write-ups and viral threads with cynicism, checking for disclosures and doing due diligence on tokenomics [21][23] - Ignore unknown tokens in your wallet and adjust token visibility settings [27] - Don't reply to cold outreach and be cautious with live streams promising unrealistic returns [32]

Crypto Scam Evolution & Impact - Crypto scams are evolving rapidly, with hundreds of millions of dollars in value stolen from users in the last 2-3 years [3] - Generative AI has significantly reduced the cost of persuasion, making scams easier to execute [4] - Industrial supply chains, such as pig butchering compounds, have turned fraud into shift work, amplifying the scale of scams [5] - Friction-free rails like mixers and cross-chain bridges facilitate money laundering, complicating law enforcement efforts [6] - Consumer fraud in the US exceeded $12 billion last year, highlighting the increasing scale of the problem [6] Countermeasures & Solutions - Education is the best defense against evolving scams, emphasizing the need for users to stay informed [1] - Crystal Intelligence focuses on adding the "why" and "who" to blockchain analysis, fusing blockchain flows with off-chain context to understand scam behavior [13] - Crystal's analytics aim to be human-oriented, helping victims and potential victims understand threats before it's too late [15] - Pattern recognition and mileage are crucial in spotting attacks, similar to how compliance officers identify suspicious activity [9][10] - Sim swaps are a long-standing threat that can compromise various accounts, often preceding crypto theft [20][21]

Crypto Scams Overview - Crypto scams are evolving rapidly, becoming faster, smarter, and more dangerous [1] - Education is the best defense against these evolving scams [1] Collaboration and Resources - Cointelegraph partnered with Crystal Intelligence to educate users on avoiding crypto scams [2] - Crystal Intelligence provides tools, insights, and education to help users protect themselves [2] Key Factors - Three forces are supercharging crypto scams [1]

🚨 UPCOMING: Crypto scams are getting smarter and faster.Crystal Intelligence COO Marina Khaustova reveals how to fight back.[Brought to you by @CrystalPlatform] https://t.co/0NPa93COwu ...