NFT scams: How to avoid becoming a victim

When you’re an active NFT trader, you can’t avoid all the scams in the world of nonfungible tokens. The most common NFT scams are phishing, counterfeit NFTs and pump-and-dumps. 

The year 2021 was a breakthrough for nonfungible tokens (NFTs). But when something gets popular like decentralized finance (DeFi) and the newest version of the Web called Web3, there are also risks involved. 

Follow the money is advice you don’t have to give hackers twice. Last year, hackers took home $14 billion from crypto-related hacks and still, cryptocurrency crime numbers have risen 79% — and the risk is not over yet. But how do NFT traders protect themselves from getting scammed? First of all, educate yourself. By understanding the most common NFT scams, you can get your tokens to safety. 

The most important thing to note is that NFT pump-and-dumps are bad news. NFT scammers will use hollow-hearted information to jack up the floor price (representation of the lowest price for an item, updated in real-time) of an NFT of your interest. When they are successful in their tactics, they sell their items and leave others empty-handed. Also, a common trick is the technical support scam. When you’re a user of Telegram or Discord, you probably see the crypto scams happen right under your nose. 

This phishing scam is not obvious at all. Scammers use fake pop-ups to link to normal-looking pages, such as your wallet. Or first-time buyers are struggling to get the deal done and they accept an offer to get help for investing in NFTs. The digitally disguised scammer asks for your personal information, which he uses to steal all your assets. 

The third common NFT scam is no stranger in the world of intellectual property. Artists work hard on their original designs. It takes a lot of hours to establish an NFT collection so when they get copied by someone else, it’s like biting into a sour apple. The scammers take the artist's work and turn it into an NFT. Buyers will believe they’re investing in an original artwork and place high-valued bids.