Crypto scams, wallets and fake investments

First assess what is being requested, which channel was used and what has already happened. Do not use the received link or imposed phone number as the verification channel.

Information updated : 2026-09-10

Editorial Trust

Last update
2026-09-10
Sources checked
2026-09-17
Content status
information published with visible sources and clear limits
Official sources cited
5
Editorial responsibility
StopArnaques

StopArnaques is an independent Belgian service. It is not a public authority and does not speak on behalf of the organisations cited.

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Why this page exists

  • Crypto scams combine the promise of profit, urgency and the difficulty of getting the money back.

Situations often encountered

  • guaranteed crypto returns
  • seed phrase requested
  • crypto investment WhatsApp group
  • recover crypto losses tax

What the fraudster is trying to get

  • In cases linked to the crypto offer, the aim is usually to trigger an action before you have time to check: click, pay, share a code or open access to an account.
  • Urgency, the fear of losing money and copying a well-known organisation are used to lower your vigilance. None of these elements proves that the request is genuine.

Check through an independent channel

  • Do not start from the message you received. Open the official website or app yourself, or use a number already shown on a reliable document.
  • Compare the sender, the exact domain, the recipient and the action requested. One consistent detail is not enough if the rest of the process leaves the official channel.

What to do now

  • Never share a seed phrase.
  • Never pay fees to recover funds.
  • Check FSMA alerts.

If you have already interacted

  • Stop the exchange. Change the login details you entered through the official app or website and enable two-factor authentication when it is available.
  • Contact your bank quickly if a payment, card, IBAN, code or confirmation is involved. Keep the useful evidence for a report.

Scope of this hub

  • This hub covers wallets, seed phrases, signatures, fake exchanges, drainers and fraudulent recovery.
  • The crypto scam file explains blockchain permissions and attribution limits.

Triage and urgency level

  • Identify whether you only visited a page, connected a wallet, signed or revealed a key.
  • An exposed seed phrase or a malicious signature requires an immediate technical response.

Limits of this classification

  • This hub does not confirm the identity or reliability of a contact. For this family, the first check remains the following: Identify whether you only visited a page, connected a wallet, signed or revealed a key.
  • A situation can fall under several families. Refer to the file whose dangerous action matches the real case: The crypto scam file explains blockchain permissions and attribution limits.

Limits of this page

  • This page does not prove that a message is safe and does not replace your bank, the police, Safeonweb, a platform or a public service.
  • A scam may be new, very well written or described with too little context. Use the result as decision support, not as absolute certainty.
  • Before taking a final action, checking through the official channel matters more than the appearance of the received message.

Check through an official channel

  • Type the service address yourself or open the official app. Do not use a phone number, link or QR code from the suspicious message to verify the situation.
  • When money, card details, a code or account access are involved, the safety action comes first. The analysis can then help organise the evidence.

How to read the result

  • A low number of signals does not mean that everything is safe. It only means that this page or analysis did not find decisive evidence with the information available.
  • Focus on the requested action: paying, sharing a code, installing an app, approving a bank action or leaving an official platform. That action matters more than a logo, sender name or polished wording.
  • If the situation feels urgent, step away from the received message first. Then check calmly through a channel you already trusted before the message arrived.

Belgian reading of this situation

  • For the crypto offer, focus on the relevant Belgian next step: open the official channel yourself, contact the bank, use Safeonweb or preserve evidence.
  • The right decision for the crypto offer depends on what has already happened. Reading a message is not the same as clicking, paying, sharing a code or granting remote access.

What to do now without panic

  • If the crypto offer worries you, choose the next step from the requested action: clicking, paying, sharing a code, installing an app, sending a document or approving account access. Do not rely only on the logo or sender name.
  • When the crypto offer involves an urgent, financial or hard-to-undo action, StopArnaques treats the situation as something that must be checked first. Polished wording, a familiar brand or a realistic amount does not make the request reliable by itself.
  • If you already acted in a case involving the crypto offer, the order matters more than the label: contact the bank, platform or official service first, preserve evidence next, then compare the situation with similar campaigns.

What can be legitimate

  • For the crypto offer, some notifications can be real: a delivery, invoice, administrative document, payment request, security alert or platform message. This is why this page does not claim that every similar message is automatically a scam.
  • The difference in a the crypto offer case is verification. A real request should be visible through the app, portal, customer area or phone number that you open yourself, not only through a link, QR code or number included in the suspicious message.
  • If the official environment does not show the same request about the crypto offer, amount, reference or beneficiary, it is safer to stop and report or verify the case before continuing.

Limits and responsibility

  • For the crypto offer, StopArnaques helps explain signals and choose safer actions, but it does not replace your bank, the police, Safeonweb, the FPS Economy, a platform or the organisation concerned.
  • A result about the crypto offer may remain uncertain when the text is too short, when context is missing or when the fraud uses a new variant. In that situation, slow down, verify independently and avoid any irreversible action.
  • If the crypto offer involves a payment, code, card, identity document, itsme approval, banking app or remote access, the protective action comes first. Do not wait for a perfect label if harm may already be possible.

Keep evidence and report

  • For the crypto offer, keep the message, date, channel, visible sender, neutralised link and useful screenshots. Do not publish personal data or clickable suspicious links on social media.
  • Report the crypto offer to the relevant channel when appropriate, for example Safeonweb for suspicious messages, the platform for account abuse and your bank when money or payment details are involved.
  • This evidence about the crypto offer can also help link a campaign to a case later without storing raw personal data. That matters if the system is to improve without exposing users unnecessarily.

Frequently asked questions

How can I recognise the crypto offer?

Crypto scams combine the promise of profit, urgency and the difficulty of getting the money back. Pay particular attention to the action requested, the channel used and any pressure to act quickly.

Can I check the message without opening its link?

Yes. Copy only the text, number or address shown into the detector. Do not open the link and do not scan the QR code to carry out the check.

What if the message seems to come from a real brand?

Go back to the service by your own means. The name shown, the logo and even the apparent number can be copied. Only a check in the official channel can confirm the request.

Useful official sources

Test a text message, email, call or link