Scammers and Online Frauds

How to Stay Safe in the Digital Age, How to Protect Yourself, and How to Recognize a Scammer-The Guide to Your Online Safety

This picture is the property of the author, and it is made with an AI program

This post can be read in Tocsin Magazine and all Medium members can read the full article here.

Introduction

As mentioned in my previous article on earning money online in 2025, today’s piece focuses on scammers and online fraud.

The internet is full of people with bad intentions. It’s a risky place not only for those who are careless but even for the cautious, as fraudsters continuously hone their methods and devise new schemes to steal your hard-earned money.

Many readers might think that these scams only happen to others — those who are reckless or who visit suspicious or adult websites. Unfortunately, that’s far from the truth. Even as you read this, scammers could be watching and waiting to strike.

How Do They Do It?

How is that possible, you’re probably wondering, and why me?

Well, it’s possible because in this day and age of social media, all your data is available to almost everyone and, what’s most ridiculous is that you’re happy to share it with everyone, including scammers.

Today, scammers hardly have to try to find your email, your data, or your interests, because you post it all on social media, along with pictures of you and your entire immediate and extended family, your dog, cat, canary, and all your friends.

That’s the cunning way scammers get your data today.

All that’s left for scammers to do is find a way to use all that data and direct it to scam you and your family.

Common Types of Online Frauds

• Phishing

One of the most prevalent scams, phishing involves fraudsters sending counterfeit emails or messages that appear to originate from legitimate companies or institutions — such as banks or e-commerce sites.

Their goal is to trick you into revealing personal details like usernames, passwords, or credit card numbers. These messages often include malicious links that lead to fake websites, which closely mimic the real ones, prompting you to enter sensitive data like bank account numbers, PINs, or even cryptocurrency wallet phrases.

• Vishing (Voice Phishing)

In this variant, scammers use phone calls to deceive you. They typically pose as bank representatives or officials from other institutions, claiming there is an urgent issue with your bank account, computer, or credit card.

The sense of urgency they create can compel you to quickly provide your PIN or other confidential information — under threat of account suspension, lost funds, or missing a lucrative opportunity.

This picture is the property of the author, and it is made with an AI program

• Romance Scam

This is a type of long-term scam that takes place on online dating sites that requires a lot of patience, but also a lot of cunning, because it plays on the deepest human feelings such as love, infatuation, or the desire for a romantic relationship and marriage.

In this scam, the scammer feigns deep infatuation with the person he wants to scam and lures her with promises of love happiness, or marriage until he gains her complete trust and the person really falls in love with the character the scammer has created.

They use fake photos, bogus social media profiles, and sometimes even ambient sound clips to simulate real-life scenarios, like being at an airport or in a hospital.

Once they’ve secured your trust, they begin asking for money to cover “expenses” such as travel tickets — starting small and then gradually increasing. Over time, these requests increase, and the victim finds it hard to accept that the person on the other end isn’t genuine.

• Investment Scams

These scams involve bogus investment offers, pyramid schemes, or proposals that promise high returns with minimal risk.

Fraudsters lure victims with the prospect of enormous profits only to extract as much money as possible before disappearing without a trace. With the rise of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, such schemes have gained popularity.

While trading cryptocurrencies can indeed be profitable, it should be done only on authorized and verified exchanges — not by handing your money over to dubious operators promising overnight riches.

• Tech Support Scam

In this scam, fraudsters contact you by phone, claiming to be from the technical support team of a well-known software company (for example, Microsoft).

If you believe them, they assert that your computer is infected with malicious software and offer to fix the “problem.” They may then demand payment for a non-existent repair or instruct you to install remote-control software like TeamViewer.

Once they gain access to your computer, they can steal your passwords, valuable documents, photos, videos, and even banking details if you use online banking. With control over your webcam and microphone, they can further invade your privacy by monitoring or recording you.

Conclusion

In addition to the scams outlined above, many others exist — ranging from fake online shopping sites, lottery and sweepstakes scams, and business email compromise (BEC) scams to ransomware attacks and beyond.

Every day, new scams emerge as fraudsters adapt to evolving technology and innovative methods to deceive their targets.

Be vigilant when navigating the internet. Remember the old adage: if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Protect your personal information and your hard-earned money at all costs.

Stay safe online, and always verify the legitimacy of any request for your personal or financial information.

How to Get an Online Job in the Crypto Industry and Avoid Scammers

A Complete Guide to Finding Online Jobs in the Crypto and Blockchain Industry and Learn How to Spot Scammers

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Writers Beware of Scammers on Medium!!!

Stay vigilant and cautious, as there’s a special kind of human scum lurking on Medium, ready to deceive you and steal…

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https://cryptonftworlds.blogspot.com/2024/08/writers-beware-of-scammers-on-medium.html

If you want to support my work buy me a coffee for $1

https://ko-fi.com/neo77

Greetings and until my next article!

Neo77

Writers Beware of Scammers on Medium!!!

Stay vigilant and cautious, as there’s a special kind of human scum lurking on Medium, ready to deceive you and steal your money

                               This image was created using an AI image creation program

Medium members read the full post here.

Introduction

Hello, my dear readers and loyal followers!

Today, I have dedicated this article to a serious and important topic: Writers Beware of the Scammers After your Money here on Medium.

I’m unsure if you’ve had such experiences or encountered this type of person on this platform, but I’d like to share my experiences and thoughts with you and warn those who haven’t yet encountered a scammer on Medium.

I don’t understand why these people engage in this kind of fraud and crime, as it requires a lot of effort and time, and the amounts they try to steal from us aren’t that significant.

Perhaps it’s about the number of scams they perform, so if they execute many, the earnings proportionally increase, making it a numbers game.

In my opinion, scammers would be better off spending all that effort and time on something useful, like writing content or any other online job, earning money legally without harming anyone.

Of course, this is just my opinion and surely won’t inspire any scammer to have a change of heart and accept my advice. But I believe it’s not just about the money; it’s also about the adrenaline rush that theft and fraud give to this type of person, the excitement that occurs in their heads due to the impending criminal act.

How does the scam work?

From my experience with these scammers, I see that they mostly prey on people’s egos, greed, and inexperience in the online world.

The first thing they do is find someone with a fairly large following who is well-known in the Medium community and steal their profile picture and name.

Then they create a similar profile with the same picture and a very similar name and start looking for potential victims, who are usually new to the platform or in the early stages of building their name and brand on Medium.

You can notice the difference between the real profile and the fake one by the number of followers because the fake profile usually doesn’t have any or very few followers.

The first time I encountered such a despicable human being, I had no idea what was happening and a guide like this would have been very useful to help me fend off the scammer’s attack.

Unfortunately, I was completely alone then, and only my natural caution and suspicion towards anyone asking for money upfront saved me from losing money.

One person I knew, who had a considerable following and with whom I had communicated before, wrote a very nice comment on one of my articles and, as a cherry on top, invited me to join a community of new talented writers on Telegram.

I felt great and honored by the invitation to this special group of writers and, without much thought, I looked for the person or group on Telegram and joined them immediately.

How WhatsApp Crypto Group Scams Work

Spot The Fake and Earn Safely With THIS Tool

digitalcurrencytraders.com

The usual communication on Telegram started, getting to know each other and introducing the group’s rules in which I was supposed to participate. Everything seemed so wonderful, like a dream come true, just what I needed.

The group offered mentorship in writing and assistance at every step, but most importantly, it promised the possibility of earning a lot of money quickly through writing articles for various clients.

When they introduced me to everything that would happen in the group and of course, emphasized the potential for significant earnings from writing, and praised me as a writer, they asked me to pay a small fee of $100 to participate in the group.

The moment they asked for money upfront, without me signing anything making any agreement, or speaking with any responsible managers in the HR department, a red flag went off in my mind, signaling a warning.

I immediately remembered the old saying that if something seems too good to be true, it usually isn’t, but rather a scam.

Coupled with the request for money upfront and all the other red flags in my mind, I concluded that this whole affair was highly suspicious and most likely a scam.

I asked the person on Telegram to connect me with the HR department of that writing agency and posed a series of unpleasant questions for him, to which he had no real answers.

Of course, there was no HR department, and he had thousands of excuses for every new question I asked, so I directly told him that I knew this was a scam and that he would never get my $100.

Top 5 biggest scams in the crypto world

Through this article, you will see how some people took advantage of human inattention, and in some cases, we can say…

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At my words, he completely changed his tune, turning from a refined gentleman into an irate animal who started insulting me on all levels.

He called me stingy and said every agency takes money upfront, then attacked my writing, saying I had no idea what I was doing and would never earn a cent from writing if I didn’t accept his offer, and finally started cursing at my family and me.

I stayed calm because I realized I had struck a nerve and thrown him off balance, telling him I would report him to Telegram, Medium, and finally the police, and that I had saved all our correspondence (which was a bluff).

Within seconds, amidst curses and insults, he deleted all profiles and everything he had said to me, disappearing from the network.

                       This image was created using an AI image creation program

So, to briefly sum up this scam:

• The scammer creates a fake copy of a well-known profile on Medium.
• They find an inexperienced victim and praise their writing in the comments, inviting them to a non-existent group of writers on Telegram or WhatsApp.
• If the victim falls for the scam, the next step is to exploit their greed by promising large earnings from writing in a very short time, offering mentorship and assistance in writing within the group on Telegram.
• If the victim is still interested, they explain the group’s rules and ask for a small fee of around $100 for group entry expenses.
• If the victim hesitates, they belittle their writing, saying they will never succeed without this group.
• If the victim pays the money, all profiles are deleted, and the scammers disappear in a flash. If the victim realizes it’s a scam, they are thoroughly insulted before the scammers flee and delete everything.

Conclusion

These are my experiences with scammers on Medium, and it would be very beneficial if the administrators took some action regarding this issue.

For the time being, we users are limited to blocking and reporting potential scammers and waiting for the administrators to respond. Until the administrator checks and blocks the potential scammer, there is still a chance for them to deceive someone.

I hope my article and the experiences I’ve been through will help new and inexperienced members spot the scammers in time, block them, and report them.

Influence or not to influence! That is the question!

Learn from my Metamask mishap and stay vigilant in the world of crypto. Don’t let scammers empty your wallet!

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If you want to support my work buy me a coffee for $1.

https://ko-fi.com/neo77

Greetings and until my next article!

Neo77

Unraveling the Web of Deception: The WhatsApp Crypto Trap

 

Navigating the Shadows: Identifying Scammers Online

Hello, my dear readers and loyal followers! Have you ever received an offer on a social media platform that seemed so enticing you wondered if it could be legitimate?

Whether via Twitter, WhatsApp, or Telegram, many of you have likely been approached with proposals to invest in cryptocurrencies, promising wealth or returns significantly higher than your initial investment.

I’m sure this scenario has unfolded for many of you reading this. For those who haven’t experienced it, be prepared because it might happen to you too. So, open your eyes, sharpen your senses, and delve into this article, where I’ll recount my personal experience with a WhatsApp group that weaves a web of lies and scams, all in an attempt to con me out of several thousand dollars.

Staying Ahead of Cryptocurrency Scams: Lessons Learned

It was an ordinary afternoon, and I was deeply engrossed in writing a new article, lost in my own thoughts. Suddenly, my phone pinged with a message from WhatsApp. I glanced away from my screen, picked up the phone, and began reading the newly arrived message. As soon as I read it, a little warning bell rang in my head, but the message’s content was so intriguing and captivating that I disregarded my initial hesitation and couldn’t resist taking a closer look.

The message went something like this: “To celebrate Binance’s 6th anniversary, we’re hosting a grand giveaway. You, as a loyal Binance user, are invited to a special group dedicated to educating about cryptocurrencies and trading. To participate in the giveaway, you must join this group.” Out of pure curiosity, I joined, and that’s where my adventure began.

At first glance, everything seemed fine. The group bore Binance’s logo, and its administrators were all seemingly respectable individuals with titles. They identified themselves as Binance employees, with Mr. Jerry Z., a supposed Binance developer, and Ms. Nicola W., another apparent Binance employee, leading the group.

After several introductory messages during the first day, the group saw a sudden influx of members. By the second day, serious discussions regarding topics like DeFi, staking, lending, cryptocurrency trading, and various ways to earn from cryptocurrencies began. Everyone in the discussion seemed genuinely interested in what Jerry and Nicola presented. Their responses even made sense. Much of the content they shared consisted of authentic news from Binance or was related to Binance, all true and verifiable.

I lurked quietly, not revealing much about myself and cautiously exploring the terrain. Nowhere in the group was there any mention of requests for money, cryptocurrency investments, or any hints that they might want something from me. But, as you’ll soon see, the group was slowly crafting a web of lies and deception, disguising their intentions as well-meaning Binance staff there to educate, make us money, and offer entry into a giveaway promising substantial rewards.

After a few days of discussions and lessons, the conversation began to revolve more and more around DeFi liquidity mining. This topic eventually dominated all discussions. This started to raise suspicions, especially since Jerry Z. and Nicola W. didn’t have last names, and their profile pictures were avatars, whereas other participants had genuine images of real people.

Another oddity was the names of the group members. They were all Croatians, but some names didn’t match typical Croatian names and seemed unfamiliar to our region. Furthermore, the mobile numbers from which Jerry and Nicola had initiated the group were registered in Malta. These were significant red flags that couldn’t be ignored.

Avoiding Crypto Scams: A Guide to Protecting Your Investments

Equipped with these warning signs, I started investigating and performed a comprehensive DYOR (Do Your Own Research). This moment is crucial to emphasize that DYOR should be akin to the Holy Bible not only for crypto enthusiasts but for anyone involved in any form of investment, be it online or in the real world.

I did a Google search for “Binance Crypto Scams on WhatsApp,” and to my surprise, the search engine quickly returned the results I suspected. It turns out that a very common scam occurring via WhatsApp is precisely what was happening to me. Scammers impersonate Binance or other major companies’ employees, often posing as developers, as was the case here. They promise significant rewards for investments in crypto which was also true in this case, and then when the participants pay the money the fraudsters run away with it and shut down that group and profile on the social network. I also discovered that Binance is aware of this scam.

Playing a Dangerous Game: Baiting the Scammers

Armed with this knowledge, I returned to the group, pretending to be naive or even foolish, and continued to play their game. I’ll provide a brief summary of how it unfolded, as detailing every aspect would require writing a novel.

The Binance Impersonation Scam: A Closer Look

In essence, the scam revolved around the “Binance” team offering substantial rewards for joining their group and investing a minimum of $1,000 in DeFi liquidity mining. Of course, investments could go much higher, even up to $100,000. The more you invested, the more encouraged you were, as it increased your chances of winning their 6th-anniversary giveaway. They offered $100,000 for first place and smaller amounts for second and third places in the giveaway. However, you could only secure your spot in the giveaway if you were among the first to invest, and substantial sums were encouraged. They didn’t even mention rewards for investments between $1,000 and $10,000.

In addition to their fictitious Binance employees, the scammers operated numerous fake accounts, using real people’s images and names. These faux participants seemingly interacted with Binance’s employees in the group, all part of their attempt to lure unsuspecting victims into investing their life savings.

The Art of Deception: How the Scammers Operate

The scammers tried to convince me to invest my entire fortune using their tricks. Nicola assured me that she would guide me every step of the way and that there was nothing to fear, as this investment was secure. They even went to the extent of providing a real Trust Wallet link, urging me to deposit my crypto there because it was the safest option, with Binance guaranteeing it. However, the moment I deposited my crypto and attempted to access the investment pool, all my money vanished into thin air, along with Mr. Jerry, Ms. Nicola, and the entire crew of fraudsters.

Once I gathered sufficient information and concluded my investigation, I exited the group and reported it as a scam.

Staying Safe in a Digital World: A Final Word of Caution

This story serves as a stark reminder of the dangers lurking on the internet and social media. Learn from my experience and always approach any investment with caution. Perform thorough research, question everything, and remember: “If something seems too good to be true, it probably isn’t.”

If you found this tale intriguing, you might also want to read about how I lost crypto from my Metamask wallet due to haste and carelessness, learning from my experience about what you should NEVER do with digital wallets.

You can read this article and much more on Medium, or on Substack:

https://medium.com/@neo250477

https://neo77.substack.com/

Greetings and until my next article!

Neo77

Unmasking the 51% Attack: A Crypto Horror Story

 

Greetings, crypto thrill-seekers! Today, we’re about to unravel one of the spookiest legends lurking in the Cryptoverse — the infamous 51% attack. But don’t worry, we’re going to make this as entertaining as a blockbuster movie starring your favorite meme coins and crypto superheroes.

So, what exactly is this 51% attack, you ask? Well, imagine a world where the bad guys team up and seize control of a cryptocurrency’s blockchain. It’s like watching supervillains plot to take over the world, only with a dash of cryptographic chaos and a pinch of humor.

In this tale of crypto daring and deception, we’ll explore the chilling origins of the 51% attack and how it can turn a blockchain into a rollercoaster of confusion. But remember, it’s not all doom and gloom in the Cryptoverse. There’s always a twist, a hero, and a lesson to be learned.

So, grab your virtual popcorn and prepare for a thrilling ride through the Cryptoverse as we uncover the Curse of the 51%. It’s a story of double-spending villains, community heroes, and the unwavering spirit of decentralization. Welcome to the Cryptoverse’s very own horror show — lights, camera, crypto-action!

Crypto and the Curse of the 51%: The Dark Tale Begins

Once upon a blockchain, in a world not so far away, there existed a cryptocurrency that seemed invincible — let’s call it “NeoCoin77.”

NeoCoin77 had it all: a snazzy logo, a dedicated community, and a blockchain that was more secure than Fort Knox. Life was good.

The 51% Attack: Enter the Villains

But as they say, all good things must come to an end. One fateful day, a group of nefarious miners joined forces, armed with 51% of the network’s computing power. Yes, you heard that right, 51%! It was like the bad guys in a superhero movie teaming up to take over the world, something like the Superhero League from Marvel movies, if you remember, the only difference is that this league was formed of villains, something like Anti Superhero League made of Bad Miners.

Double Spend Shenanigans

With this diabolical majority, the attackers began executing what crypto aficionados fear most — the dreaded “double spend.”

Double spending in crypto is like pulling off a magician’s trick in the digital world. It’s the art of spending the same cryptocurrency more than once, exploiting a momentary glitch in the matrix.

They gleefully bought a shiny new Tesla with NeoCoin77, then rolled back the blockchain and used the same coins to buy a rocket to Mars. Elon Musk would’ve been proud if it weren’t for the fraud!

Network Mayhem and Chaos

As chaos ensued, the NeoCoin77 community watched in horror as their beloved crypto crumbled like a house of cards. Confirmations were unconfirmed, transactions vanished into thin air, and panic spread faster than a meme coin in a bull market.

But don’t be fooled by the illusion; the Cryptoverse has its guardians and safeguards to prevent this digital deception. So, while double spending might sound like a digital heist, rest assured that the blockchain’s wizards are watching, ready to foil any would-be tricksters.

The Crypto Avengers Assemble

But fear not, for in the world of crypto, there’s always a twist. The community rallied together, forming a team of Crypto Avengers, each with their own superpowers — HODLING, CODING, AND RUNNING FULL NODES. They declared war on the 51% attackers!

The Famous Battle for Decentralization

The battle raged on. The 51% attackers tried to maintain their grip on NeoCoin77, but the crypto Avengers were relentless. They encouraged more nodes, rallied the miners, and strengthened their defenses.

The HODLERS were hodling, the CODERS were coding, and the NODES were run by NODE RUNNERS!

It was a showdown of epic proportions like Satoshi Nakamoto taking on the entire financial system, and finally, after many hours in battle, the war was won by brave Crypto Avengers.

The Anti-Superhero League of Bad Miners was defeated and peace came into our blockchain, in a world not so far away!

Conclusion and Lessons Learned

In the end, the Curse of the 51% taught us a valuable lesson. Decentralization isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the heart and soul of cryptocurrencies. It’s what keeps the forces of evil at bay and ensures the integrity of the blockchain.

So, fellow crypto adventurers, the next time you’re deep in the Cryptoverse, remember the legend of NeoCoin77 and the Curse of the 51%. Stay decentralized, stay vigilant, and may your crypto journey be filled with more ups than downs.

And there you have it, a spooky tale from the Cryptoverse served with a side of humor. Until next time, keep HODLing and laughing all the way to the blockchain!

Disclaimer: No cryptos were harmed in the making of this article. All characters and events are purely fictional (except for Elon Musk, of course).

You can read this article and much more about crypto on Medium or on Substack:

https://medium.com/@neo250477

https://neo77.substack.com/

Greetings and until my next article!

Neo77