Know the Scam
Know the Scam is the fraud-education series published by SimpleSwap. This page is its reference form: one row per pattern, with the signal that exposes it and the habit that defeats it.
Scams differ from hacks in requiring your participation, so every row below describes something that has to become visible before it can work.
Site verification, in order
Any other domain carrying the name is a copy, however exact the interface.
Logos, colours and layout clone in minutes. The domain does not.
HTTPS encrypts the connection. Phishing sites hold valid certificates too.
Standard swaps never require one, and never a seed phrase.
An account that contacts you first did not come from SimpleSwap.
Once confirmed there is no chargeback, so the check belongs before you send.
Twelve patterns at a glance
Each links to its full write-up in Know Scam on the SimpleSwap blog.
| Pattern | What it does | What exposes it | Full write-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near-identical domains | Cloned interface, altered domain, attacker's deposit address. | Check the URL. | Safety Academy → |
| Modern phishing | Copies now defeat the visual checks people rely on. | Use your own bookmark. | Read → |
| Long-form grooming | Rapport over weeks, then blocked withdrawals. | Try withdrawing early. | Safety Academy → |
| AI-generated giveaways | Fabricated video promising doubled returns. | Never send first. | Read → |
| Token approvals | One signature, ongoing permission, later drain. | Review and revoke approvals. | Read → |
| Order-flow extraction | Bots profit around your pending trade. | Set slippage deliberately. | Read → |
| History decoys | Lookalike address planted for a later copy. | Check middle characters. | Read → |
| Paste substitution | Copied address replaced by malware. | Re-read before confirming. | Read → |
| Blocked exits | Buy clears, sell does not. | Verify prior sales. | Read → |
| Reward-script fraud | Code that harvests credentials under a bonus pretext. | Rewards need no scripts. | Read → |
| Fake agents | Impersonators answer public help requests first. | Support never initiates. | Read → |
| Drainer claim pages | Unrequested tokens leading to a draining signature. | Ignore what you did not request. | Read → |
Six constants
Present in every pattern listed below, whatever its mechanics.
- 01Manufactured urgencyA deadline you did not set.
- 02Guaranteed returnsNothing on-chain provides one.
- 03A request for your seed phraseNo service needs it, ever.
- 04Contact you did not startThe approach arrived first.
- 05Pressure to move platformsInto a channel that keeps no record.
- 06A fee to release your fundsYour own money has no paywall.
Behind each row
Every entry condenses a full case study in the SimpleSwap Safety Academy.